My sister asked me a simple question at the park yesterday

We were watching her kids play at Miller Park, and she just turned to me and said, 'Are you actually okay?' I smiled and said sure, but it hit different because she saw right through it. I've been pretending everything's fine since my dog passed away three weeks ago. How do you even start to answer that question honestly?

4 comments

4 Comments

elliot_gibson273mo ago

Start with the dog. Tell her you miss him every day. That small truth opens the door.

the_diana3mo ago

My old lab, Buster, was the only witness to my college poetry phase, and he never judged me once.

hugoj121mo ago

Rowan_thomas84 knows what's up. That one small detail about expecting to hear the sound is exactly the kind of truth that cuts through the small talk. My buddy lost his border collie last year and he said the worst part was waking up and reaching over to pat an empty spot on the bed. Maybe tell your sister something specific like that, like how you still grab two bags of treats sometimes or you find yourself saving the last bite of your sandwich out of habit. People understand the small moments way better than the big feelings. Have you tried telling her just one of those little things?

rowan_thomas843mo ago

When my cat died, I just told my brother I kept expecting to hear her meow at the back door. That one small fact said it all without me having to explain the whole sad mess.