A Plea

Dear Alice,

I wanted to let you know that I understand how upset you are about our current situation. I’m upset too. But I feel like you keep turning away when I could really use your support. I know it’s tough right now for you and it seems pretty dark and scary. But we’re slowly getting things turned in the right direction. It will be better.

I can't make any promises about the future, but I know that since you employed this scorched earth policy, things won't be the same anymore. Let's not stand here crying and darting our eyes around looking for a way to get away from each other and wondering if shouldn't also pour salt everywhere, just for good measure. Let's find our way to a place where we can at least breath again and maybe even laugh a little bit.

Once we can laugh again, then maybe we could sing. Maybe once we sing, we'll be able to forget this day, except for on cold nights when a draft gets through the cracks in the window sill. We will stand there in our slippers and shiver at the remembering. And when we remember, we will shake our heads and regret the nonsense. We'll toy for a moment with what if's and if only's. Then we'll set those aside as more nonsense. Then we will fix some hot cocoa, find our favorite blankets and be comforted.

But for now, let's forget how horrible this is and work together because we must if we are to survive. Take my hand so we don't get separated.