Pt. 1: The Departure

Written by: Chereen

December 13, 2016

Dear Diary,

I am currently putting all my faith into the verse, “God will not burden a soul more than it can handle.”

This is why.

After 20 hours of traveling, I arrived to my parents home and quickly got changed. It had become quieter than the quiet I was accustomed to after my dad passed away.

“Are you ready to see her?”

As we neared the hospital, my sister turned to me at the red light and looked at me with seriousness in her eyes. Younger, but wiser, she listened carefully as I spoke.

“Of course I am. I’ve spoken to her on video chat, I look at her pictures everyday, and you’ve sent me videos. I’ll be okay.”

“Okay,” she said. But that “okay” was one that I had grown up hearing. It meant “I warned you but I guess you will have to experience it yourself.”

As much as I could have rehearsed it (but I didn’t because I’m too present), this was something I couldn’t mentally prepare myself for. It was something I would simply get through.

I walked through the ward with confidence, smiling at everyone I came across. I nodded and smiled at the nurses, as I asked them how they were doing. They were kind, but it was apparent that they knew.

They were well aware that I would not be the same when I walked out of her room.

Sincerely,

Chereen.