If Only I Could Tell You

by Hannah Beckerman

All any parent can do is try to equip you as best they can—dig the foundations and give you the tools to build the kind of life you want to lead. The rest is down to you and your courage. And I think you’ve got bags of courage, Phoebe. I think you’ve got it in spades.”

“I know it’s hard. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy. But there’s always a chance of reconciliation. You just have to be honest enough to want it and brave enough to pursue it.”

Because she was certain now that a person’s story didn’t follow a straight narrative trajectory from birth to death. There were countless beginnings and endings, countless opportunities to start again. There were as many different beginnings to a life as someone was brave and kind enough to allow themselves.