Where the Lost Wander

by Amy Harmon

“He suffers when you go,” she says softly. “That’s not true.” “It is. It is the suffering of love. Every parent feels it. It is the suffering of being unable to shield or save. It is not love if it doesn’t hurt.”

“It’s worth it, you know.” “What is, Jennie?” “The pain. It’s worth it. The more you love, the more it hurts. But it’s worth it. It’s the only thing that is.”

“I’ve found that women can’t be trusted,” I say. “And I’ve found that men are just frightened boys. God gave you stronger bodies to make up for your weaker spines.”

“The hardest thing about life is knowing what matters and what doesn’t,” Winifred muses. “If nothing matters, then there’s no point. If everything matters, there’s no purpose. The trick is to find firm ground between the two ways of being.”