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In An Instant Part Seven
You think you need to protect me Auntie, from your pain, your grief, but you don’t. I know you are hurting, I know you’re in pain. You’re scared even if you don’t want to admit that, and I understand.
But you don’t need to protect me, just because I’m twelve and you don’t want me to be scared, what would be more scary is watching you shut down. Mom says you need to grieve, we grieved as we watched the news unfold on a local station, we couldn’t see inside the building but it was all so scary, and even at the hospital when we learned you were going to make it we grieved.
I know you want to shield me, but you can’t shield me from this, and I don’t want you too. You don’t need to hide your grief and pain from me, bury It because when you do that, you are only setting yourself up to explode, at least that’s what Mother says, and you know Mom, she’s smart about that kind of thing.
Don’t think that I don’t see the pain in your eyes, every time someone helps you into bed or out of it, because you can’t do it on your own, but I believe one day you will, don’t give up, you are stronger than that.
You don’t think you are strong Auntie, but you are. Mom tells me that sometimes strong is being able to accept help when you need it, and you’ve done that despite how hard it is for you. And you’re determined to get back the classroom, you…
