Wednesday, March 4^th, 2020

Tough

Her name was Katie, and when she let go, we saw she’d left two make-up smudges and glitter on my white shirt. Wiping her eyes, she said, “I’m so sorry.”

I shrugged. “You’re really struggling with this,” I said. “I’m glad you got to cry it out a little.”

A half smile crossed her face. “A lot of my life has been a swirling puddle of suck.  This is just the latest miserable whirlpool.  Losing my dad to heroin, and watching my mother drink herself stupid, toughened me up.”

She grabbed a tissue from a box on a table by the casket. “I know I look hard and a little crazy, but I kept my heart. I have a boyfriend. Two years – that’s an eternity when you’re in high school. I take care of my mother, even though she never took care of me.”

Today I’ll be grateful for whatever toughens me without hardening my heart.

2020 Vision ©2017 by Ken Montrose

2020 Vision is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.

Other works by Ken Montrose are available at: www.greenbriartraining.com https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/