everything, for them

one day, she was a piggy bank. she let them shake out every note, every cent till their pockets were bulging and jingling with the sounds of joy. they left satisfied, and she was an empty piggy bank, but she was glad to provide. another day, she was a plate full of food. she let them devour, gobble, vacuum up every crumb, every grain till their bellies were filled and had no more room. they left satisfied, and she was an empty plate, but she was glad to satisfy. then, she was a china vase, an already empty one. and through her blinded, deluded vision, they started to turn away, one by one, heads heavy with disappointment, backs splattered with the word ‘upset’ in red. she trembled in fear and inched closer and closer to the table edge. in one last desperate attempt to share, she flung herself off the table. they all scrambled to get a piece of china each and left feeling grateful. but, there she lay, shattered, unable to piece herself back together. yet at the end of it all, all she wanted was to smile, to be glad to have given them her all. as she looked down at herself, or rather what was left of herself, and then back at the contented faces of those whom she held so dear, she thought to herself: this was enough