STRENGTH

When I was about five my granda Curly climbed the stairs in their house, put a shotgun in his mouth and pulled the trigger. My mother, his oldest daughter, was the only one who cleaned up the mess he made. For the longest time, I thought she must have been the strongest woman in the world. I was wrong. When I was 22 she managed to finish the job she set out to do, she killed herself. Now I realize that she was weak all along. Strong woman do run in my family. My grandma Pete pulled herself up after her husband was gone and she was the woman who loved me the best. My oldest daughter was an MP in the Army, while also working a second job, working on her degree and raising her daughter 1000's of miles from home. My youngest daughter was a best advocate my autistic grandson could ever had. My daughter-in-law has raised three wonderful girls who are confident and secure. They all have backstorys that are their's to tell. The strongest woman I have ever known was Cindy Leonard. When she lost her son to an overdose, she pulled herself up and continue to live for her daughter. Wnen she lost her daughter to another overdose, you would think it was too much to bear, but not her. She was always friendly and happy just to be. Even when her breast cancer was diagnosed, she stared it in the face and said "FUCK YOU!" She fought again with everything she had when the cancer returned in her bones. I have nothing but admiration and love for her and will always tell Bratzilla stories of her Nana Cindy.