This Close To Okay

by Leesa Cross-Smith

if you didn’t want the bad shit in life to win every time, you had to keep your eye out for a bright thing.

This is a running thread through all of my books! My first novel WHISKEY & RIBBONS and my second short story collection SO WE CAN GLOW. It's a running thread through my life, really...because life can just be so awful and unfair and sad sometimes. For some people more than others...and I truly believe that we, as humans, have to make an effort to look for light...even when it's the darkest. This quote is something that Emmett's dad said to him often as part of his "routine Dad Speeches" and it's something Emmett thinks of often. It's also something that Tallie agrees with in her heart...although she doesn't know Emmett heard this so much growing up. It's something they both believe, even though Emmett is going through so much right now...even though Tallie is having a dark time of her own...there is something potentially bright whirring there that is keeping them both hoping for a spark...hoping for the smallest crack to let the light leak in. And I like the focus here being on "YOU had to keep your eye out for a bright thing"...because sometimes those things can fall to us as individuals...our ability to fight for the light when possible...even when it's hard...because life and love are worth it.