The month of May was named for Maia, the Greek goddess of fertility. Perhaps that’s why we celebrate Mother’s Day this month (don’t quote me on that) and Father’s Day in June.

You may be a parent or someone who decided to not have children or someone who can’t biologically have them. In any event, you are most certainly someone’s child. So let’s talk about children — in six words. Yours, other people’s children, being childfree, being a child, childhood memories — it’s all fair game. Please make it a story with a beginning, middle and end — not six adjectives, not a cliche and not advice. Make us laugh or cry or at the very least feel something. For an example, here is the famous story attributed to, but not proven to be written by, Ernest Hemingway: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” That’s quite the story (and totally about a child)!

If you want your story to run in the IJ, please:

• Write “Six-word story” in the subject line

• Send one story. Just one

• Include your full name and Marin town in the body of the email, no attachments

• Write your short story in the body of the email, no attachments

• Use proper punctuation and spelling

• Use sentence style in one line

Please send to lifestyles@marinij.com by May 19 and look for it in the May 30 lifestyles section and online.