I asked my son-in-law to turn the music down because it was driving me crazy, and in front of his friends he said to me, “This is my house, you crazy old woman. If you don’t like it, there’s the door.” My daughter looked down. So did I. But instead of crying, I opened my purse, took out a piece of paper that had been folded for 23 days, and laid it on the table…

Sometimes I run my hand along the wooden surface of my worktable and think about how easily a person can lose themselves when they stay silent for too long. I also think about the incredible power that comes with finally saying that you have had enough and standing up for the life you spent decades creating.

People often assume that an older woman has no voice left to use, but they are gravely mistaken about the fire that burns within a heart that has survived. We do not start out by screaming or making demands, but instead, we watch and we wait while we carry the weight of the world on our shoulders.

However, once we finally wake up and realize our own worth, no one will ever be able to treat us like a guest at our own dinner table ever again.

THE END.