I OPENED MY EYES that first morning in my new apartment, half expecting to hear jostling around the house. Nothing. No mom cooking breakfast down the hall. No dad powering up the leaf blower outside the window. No nieces and nephews running across the floors. Just me, myself and I. Alone. This is perfect, I thought.
I was 31 and finally living on my own. My own schedule. My own rules. My own life. I wanted to strike out and pursue my dream of becoming a writer. Maybe not a world-traveling writer—the way I’d imagined when I was younger—but at least independent. My parents didn’t understand, so I’d left without filling them in on my decision.
I stayed in bed a while longer, savoring the silence. It had taken me a long time to get here. In July 1997, at age 13, I’d been diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia. My parents and older sisters were behind me through four merciless relapses and eight years of brutal treatment, including chemo and radiation.
The treatments left me with a slew of side effects, but by the grace of God, I was able to graduate, not only from high school but also from the University of Michigan. After college, I’d contented myself with staying home, sharing an address with the people who raised and loved me.
この記事は Angels on Earth の Jan/Feb 2020 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Angels on Earth の Jan/Feb 2020 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
THE ANSWER
Could my husband’s recent retirement explain his behavior?
Sewing Hope
It wasn’t in my power to mend a broken heart, but I sent needle and thread, with chocolates for good measure
Problems? She Can Relate
Meet New Jersey’s Own Black Fairy Godmother
Valentine Angels
Straight from heaven—with love
The Humility Sisters
What would two nuns know about taking care of a baby?
Sophie's Secret
How could a dog know just what so many people needed?
Built by Angels
My mother called to ask if I knew the story of the 11 churches carved from single stones in Ethiopia
ONE RED GLOVE
Its message helped me shake the blues
Clutter, Be Gone!
Fifteen minutes a day keeps the mess away
A housewarming gift
My husband seemed to be in every room— even though I knew he was in heaven