Every Precious and Fragile Thing

by Barbara Davis

“It is simple. We’re the ones who make it complicated. We get so stuck in that we can’t see what else might be out there for us. But it is out there. Waiting for us to find it. And you will, sweetheart.

Beauty—and the vanity that sometimes comes with it—is often confused with dignity. But that kind of beauty is never more than skin deep, while dignity is rooted in our humanity, in our very soul, a birthright we either cling to or surrender.

That’s the thing about seeing people stripped of their pride—it humanizes them in ways we’re often not prepared for. We suddenly see our sameness, our connection, our ties. And once seen, they can never be unseen.

“Mothers are complicated. You grow up thinking you know who they are. And then something happens and you realize they have all these layers, pieces of themselves you didn’t know were there—because they’ve been carrying around stuff you knew nothing about. But maybe it goes the other way too. Maybe mothers don’t always see their children as they really are. I think your mother is starting to figure it out, though. She seems ready to let go a little—to let you be you. I think it might be an opportunity to connect as adults rather than just mother and son.”