Rootless

by Krystle Zara Appiah

She hates that he can want someone he has never met more than he wants her, the person standing right beside him.

“I never told you to be perfect. I wanted you to have a good life. A husband that would take care of you. An easy—” “None of this is easy. Nothing in this life. Motherhood isn’t easy.” “No, it’s not.” Maame brings the pestle down hard. “Being a mother is about sacrifice. Tough choices. Always thinking of your children before yourself.” “And I didn’t want that. I told you that I didn’t want children and you…all of you forced me into this position.”

“I wonder why we do that,” she says. “Do what?” “Measure a woman’s strength by the amount she is able to endure?”

I hope you learn to block out the noise, stay true to what you want, and find your place in this world. The world is a better place because you are in it.