Hillbilly Elegy

how my aunt found herself married at
sixteen to an abusive husband. It’s how
my mom, the salutatorian of her high
school class, had both a baby and a
divorce, but not a single college credit
under her belt before her teenage years
were over. Out of the frying pan and into
the fire. Chaos begets chaos. Instability
begets instability. Welcome to family life
for the American hillbilly.
For me, understanding my past and
knowing that I wasn’t doomed gave me
the hope and fortitude to deal with the
demons of my youth. And though it’s
cliché, the best medicine was talking
about it with the people who understood.
I asked Aunt Wee if she had similar