Red at the Bone

by Jacqueline Woodson

The deep knot in his throat was the realization that from day one they’d always been in survival mode. Holding on. Clinging to living. Part-time paycheck to food stamps to part-time paycheck again.

I must have heard it a hundred times by the time I was school age. I knew. And I made sure Iris knew. And I’m going to make sure Melody knows too, because if a body’s to be remembered, someone has to tell its story.

the emphasis on learning about your ancestors is so beautiful to me. this retelling and passing down generations of those who lived before us is a key component in learning our personal histories.

Lord, I’m tired. So many people I’m sitting here missing today. Lord, tell me what You left me here for. I feel like I’ve been alive so long, so long. Time for You to take me too.