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THE NARRATIVE ARC
Time Flies When You’re Growing Up
Have we wasted precious time in our marriage?
Brian, my ex-husband, sits at his desk, waiting for his first tele-therapy call of the day. His window, in the house we share, looks out onto a pond and a small wood that is generous in its view of the local wildlife.
As he waits, Brian watches the animal that most captivates his attention and sympathy. A three-legged deer makes her way across the yard, engaged in her daily search for anything remotely resembling food.
Her fur is ragged and uneven, and he always asks the air, “How has she made it through another winter?”
I can’t take my stinging eyes off her. I don’t know why, but I swallow hard.
There is also a rugged strength about her that makes me proud. I hope that today she will be more successful than yesterday. Is she alone in the world? Does she have anyone? Is survival in her DNA?
The phone rings and Brian begins his marathon of helping. From the hall I can hear muffled sounds of comfort. I would bet there are tears on the other end. He chuckles with another patient, and I can hear the deep, low hum of wisdom later on.
