Martha,

This piece is absolutely stunning. I don't think I took a breath the entire time I read it. In every line, in every word, I felt your emotion--your pain--so clearly. I felt the numbness and the parylization. The inner turmoil.

I am so sorry for the things you've recently gone through. I'm sorry for the loss of your mother. Why does it always seem like everything crashes down at once?

I admire you so much. I can feel how you poured your feelings into your writing, and it's so clear. There is something to be said for a silent strength that resides underneathe all that pain. I think it's stronger than the outer strength we can often envy that we perceive in others.

Keep writing. Believe in your inner silent strength. Age is just a shitty number. Continue to grow, continue to live.

Much love and admiration--Ki