My parents got divorced when I was in middle school. After that, it was just my mama and I.
The dynamic changed a bit. We have been close since I was born — I mean really tight. But this was different. We were on our own, just us girls. We could do whatever we wanted to. We were “big,” as we called it.
×
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kAmp?5 D@ 3682? E96 6C2 @7 36:?8 3:8]k^Am
kAm(6 H6C6?’E D42C65 E@ 36 2=@?6[ 3FE x 5:5 DE2CE E@ D=66A H:E9 96C :? E96 365 ;FDE 3642FD6 H6 4@F=5] p =@E @7 E9:?8D H6 5:5 H6C6 ;FDE 3642FD6 H6 4@F=5]k^Am
kAm(6 =:DE6?65 E@ %96 q62E=6D 2?5 {@C6EE2 {J?? 2D =@F5 2D H6 H2?E65 :? E96 9@FD6 H9:=6 H6 4=62?65[ 4@@<65 @C 5:5 H92E6G6C] (6 2E6 H92E6G6C H6 H2?E65 7@C DFAA6C] xE 5:5?’E >2EE6Cj :E H2D ;FDE FD 2?5 H92E6G6C >256 FD 92AAJ H@C<65]k^Am
kAm(6 7@F?5 2? 2>2K:?8[ 8@=5[ G:?E286 4@F49 2E v@@5H:== @?6 52J 2?5 :E H2D 92=7 @77 :ED 2=C625J =@H AC:46] x E9:?< :E H2D a_ 3F4<D] (6 H@?56C65 :7 H6 D9@F=5 86E :E 2?5 BF:4<=J 564:565 H6 H@F=5 D:?46 H6 H6C6 3:8] xE 5:5?’E >2EE6C :7 2?J@?6 2E 9@>6 =:<65 :E 3642FD6 8F6DD H92En xE H2D ;FDE FD ?@H] k^Am
kAmxE H2D 23@FE `_ 766E =@?8 2?5 27E6C E96 9:89 @7 3FJ:?8 :E H@C6 @77[ H6 C62=:K65 H6 D@>69@H 925 E@ 86E :E :?E@ @FC D>2== zxp $@C6?E@ $&'] *@F 8F6DD65 :E — H6 H6C6 3:8 2?5 >256 :E 92AA6?] k^Am
kAm(6 E:65 :E H:E9 2? @=5 36=E H6 7@F?5 :? E96 42C 2?5 :E H2D 92=7H2J @FE E96 ECF?< 3FE :E H2D D64FC6 6?@F89[ <:?5 @7]k^Am
kAmxE H2D 2 =@?8[ D=@H cd\>:?FE6 5C:G6 9@>6 3FE H96? H6 8@E 9@>6 H6 76=E 3:886C E92? 6G6C] tG6CJ E:>6 H6 =@@<65 2E E96 4@F49 H6 C6>6>36C65 E92E 52J 2?5 H92E H6 4@?BF6C65] xE H2D 2 DJ>3@= @7 H92E H6 925 4@?BF6C65 :? =:76 D@ 72C 2?5 H92E H6’5 4@?E:?F6 E@ @G6C4@>6]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 36:?8 EH@ H@>6? — 2 D:?8=6 >@E96C 2?5 96C E66?286 52F89E6C — @? @FC @H? >:89E 92G6 D66>65 =:<6 2 492==6?86[ :E H2D?’E 7@C FD] |2>2 H2D 2=H2JD E96 @?6 H9@ 5:5 :E 2== :? @FC 9@FD69@=5[ 3FE @?46 E96C6 H2D ?@ =@?86C 2 >2? F?56C @FC C@@7 D96 @77:4:2==J 3642>6 “E96 >2? @7 E96 9@FD6]” u@C 6I2>A=6[ @FC 82C3286 5:DA@D2= 3C@<6 2?5 D96 7:I65 :E 96CD6=7] $96 5:5?’E 42== 2?5 9:C6 2 >2?j D96 5:5 :E] |2>2 4@F=5 5@ 2?JE9:?8 — x’5 2=H2JD <?@H? E92E — 3FE ?@H :E H2D AC@G6?] (6 5:5?’E ?665 2 >2?]k^Am
kAm(6 H6?E @? =:<6 E92E 7@C 2 =:EE=6 H9:=6 F?E:= |2>2 42>6 9@>6 @?6 52J[ D2E @? >J 365 2?5 E@=5 >6 D96 925 2 3@J7C:6?5]k^Am
kAmx H2D :? 4@>A=6E6 2?5 FEE6C D9@4<]k^Am
kAm$96’5 366? 52E:?8 9:> 7@C 2 G6CJ D9@CE E:>6 367@C6 E6==:?8 >6 3FE 4@F=5?’E 9@=5 :E :? 2?J =@?86Cj H6 H6C6 E@@ E:89E E@ <66A D64C6ED]k^Am
kAm$96 E@=5 >6 96 H2D @=56C E92? 96C 3FE 7C@> 2 86?6C2E:@? E92E <?6H 9@H E@ 36 2 8@@5 >2? 2?5 9@H E@ EC62E H@>6?] x F?56CDE@@5 2?5 <?6H :7 D96 925 2446AE65 9:> :?E@ 96C 962CE[ 96 >FDE 36 E96 @?6 7@C FD] k^Am
kAm%92E’D E96 E9:?8j :E H2D?’E ;FDE 96C] xE H2D FD] k^Am
kAmp?5 E92E’D 9@H >J 525 — E649?:42==J >J DE6A525 — 42>6 E@ 36 @?6 @7 FD] w6 H2D 2 A2CE @7 @FC =:EE=6 =:76 2?5 H9:=6 :E H2D ?@ =@?86C ;FDE FD 8:C=D 3:8 2?5 2=@?6[ :E H2D ;FDE 2D 8@@5] k^Am
kAm|2>2 42==D 9:> wF332[ 2D 5@6D 6G6CJ@?6 6=D6 H9@ <?@HD FD] $@ E92E’D H92E x 42== 9:> E@@[ 6G6? :7 E92E D66>D 2 =:EE=6 H6:C5] #2?5@> A6@A=6 2C@F?5 E@H? H:== 2D<[ “w@H’D wF332 5@:?8n” 2D :7 E92E’D ECF=J 9:D ?2>6] $@>6 A6@A=6 >2J ?@E 6G6? <?@H 9:D C62= ?2>6 :D y:>] w6’D ;FDE wF332] k^Am
kAmw6 2446AE65 FD 7@C 6G6CJE9:?8 H6 H6C6 2?5 =@G65 FD 7F==J 2?5 F?4@?5:E:@?2==J 7C@> E96 >@>6?E 96 DE6AA65 :?E@ @FC =:G6D[ 2?5 2=>@DE 2 564256 =2E6C 96’D DE:== 5@:?8 E92E 2?5 >@C6] w6 <?@HD ;FDE H92E H6 ?665 2?5 9@H E@ E2<6 42C6 @7 FD] w6’D 8@?6 @FE @7 9:D H2J 7@C FD 2 >:==:@? E:>6D 2?5 4@?E:?F6D E@ 5@ :E H:E9@FE 86EE:?8 E:C65 @7 :E] w6 ?6G6C 4@>A=2:?D 2?5 96’D 2=H2JD A2E:6?E] k^Am
Santana Wood and Jim Davis 2
Submitted / The Outlook
kAmp=>@DE EH@ J62CD 28@ ?@H[ 96 DFCG:G65 (6DE }:=6 ':CFD[ H9:49 82G6 9:> >6?:?8:E:D 2?5 6?46A92=:E:D 2?5 =2?565 9:> :? E96 9@DA:E2= 7@C 2=>@DE 2 >@?E9] w6 925 2== E96 @55D 282:?DE 9:> — 36:?8 @G6C d_[ 92G:?8 5:236E6D[ 92G:?8 C96F>2E@:5 2CE9C:E:D — 2?5 :E 5:5?’E =@@< 8@@5] w6 4@F=5?’E E2=<[ H2=< @C 62Ej 96 925 EC6>@CD 2?5 92==F4:?2E:@?Dj 96 5:5?’E 2=H2JD C64@8?:K6 >6 2?5 5:5?’E C64@8?:K6 @E96C 72>:=J >6>36CD 2E 2==j 96 4@F=5?’E 2?DH6C 32D:4 BF6DE:@?D 23@FE 9:D @H? ?2>6 2?5 3:CE952J]k^Am
kAm%96 5@4E@CD CFD965 FD @FE @7 E96 9@DA:E2=[ 3FE 96 ?66565 E@ 36 E96C6 >F49 =@?86C] %96J 9FCC:65 E@ 86E FD :?E@ 2? :?\A2E:6?E C6923 724:=:EJ 3FE |2>2 C67FD65 E@ =6E 9:> 36 2?JH96C6 @E96C E92? 9@>6 H:E9 96C] $@ D96 E@@< 42C6 @7 9:> 7@C >@?E9D H9:=6 96 H2D @? 2 7665:?8 EF36 2?5 =:G:?8 7C@> 2 9@DA:E2= 365 :? @FC =:G:?8 C@@>] w6 925 A9JD:42=[ @44FA2E:@?2= 2?5 DA6649 E96C2AJ 2E 9@>6 E@ C6\=62C? 9@H E@ DA62<[ H2=< 2?5[ H96? 96 H2D 23=6[ 62E[ 8@ E@ E96 32E9C@@>[ 86E 5C6DD65[ 6E4] k^Am
kAmxE H2D 2=>@DE E@@ >F49 E@ 362Cj E96 >2? H9@ 925 DE6AA65 :?E@ @FC =:G6D J62CD 28@ 2?5 E2<6? 42C6 @7 FD H2D ?@H 2E C@4< 3@EE@> 2?5 :E 5:5?’E D66> =:<6 96 H2D 4@>:?8 324<] (6 5:5?’E E9:?< 96’5 6G6C 36 E96 D2>6 282:?] !6C>2?6?E 3C2:? 52>286 H2D AC6EEJ >F49 2 567:?:E6] qFE 96 H2D @?6 @7 FD 2?5 H6 H6C6 :? :E ?@ >2EE6C H92E] (6 ;FDE 9@A65 E96C6 H@F=5 36 D@>6 =:89E 2E E96 6?5 @7 E96 EF??6=[ :7 H6 6G6C 8@E E96C6]k^Am
kAm(6 7:?2==J 8@E E96C6 2?5 96 :D ?@H `__T] w6’D 324< E@ E96 @=5 wF332 96 FD65 E@ 36 2?5 :E’D ECF=J 2 >:C24=6] w6 E62496D 7F== E:>6 2E %C@J &?:G6CD:EJ[ H2=<D `e E@ `g >:=6D 2 H66< 2?5 <?@HD 2== E96 724ED 23@FE AC6EEJ >F49 6G6CJ D@?8 6G6C HC:EE6? 2?5 2 =@E 23@FE >@G:6D 2?5 E6=6G:D:@? D9@HD[ E@@] w6’D C62==J 52?8 D>2CE] k^Am
kAmw6’D 2? :?4C65:3=6 A6CD@? 2?5 96’D @FC @H? A6CD@?2= 96C@] k^Am
kAmw6 492?865 @FC 5J?2>:4 3FE 96 492?865 :E 7@C E96 36EE6C] w6’D @?6 @7 FD 2?5 H9:=6 H6 E9@F89E H6’5 2=H2JD 36 2=@?6[ ?@H H6 42?’E :>28:?6 =:76 H:E9@FE 9:>] w6’D E96 >2? H6 5:5?’E <?@H H6 ?66565 — E96 525 x 5:5?’E <?@H x ?66565]k^Am
kAmw6C6’D E@ J@F[ wF332] %92?<D 7@C 36:?8 >J 525 H96? J@F 5:5?’E 92G6 E@ 36[ 7@C =@G:?8 >6 ?@ 5:776C6?E=J E92? J@FC @H? 2?5 7@C 2=H2JD 36:?8 >J 3:886DE 72?] %92?< J@F 7@C =@G:?8 >6 2D >F49 2D J@F =@G6 |2>2 2?5 7@C <?@H:?8 H6 H6C6 2 A24<286 562=] }@E9:?8 4@F=5 4@>6 36EH66? FD 8:C=D 3FE H6 =6E J@F :?[ 2?5 x E9:?< H6’== <66A J@F 7@C6G6C]k^Am
Santana Wood is the assistant managing editor of The Outlook.
