Night

I let you cry the other night. Dad was out of town; it was me and you, kid. For three whole days.

After barely making it to 8:30pm, I let my eyes close. By 9:30, you were crying. And I let you. I knew you were not hungry or wet or in danger. So, I just let you cry. I may have cried a bit too. I hoped the crying would not scar you for life would be a gift of learning to self-soothe. Of not trying to shush away the pain, whatever unknown pain it was that night. Or any night.

Some nights there is rest. But as painful as it is, as much as I really don't want it to be so, sometimes there are just tears.