Hillbilly Elegy

could lead her to do something she’d
regret later. Mamaw never lost that
hope, after more heartache and more
disappointment than I could possibly
fathom. Her life was a clinic in how to
lose faith in people, but Mamaw always
found a way to believe in the people she
loved. So I don’t regret relenting. Giving
Mom that piss was wrong, but I’ll never
regret following Mamaw’s lead. Her
hope allowed her to forgive Papaw after
the rough years of their marriage. And it
convinced her to take me in when I
needed her most.
Though I followed Mamaw’s lead,
something inside me broke that morning.
I went to school red-eyed from crying