Hillbilly Elegy

of the “plans” Mamaw and Papaw used
to put together, but I convinced myself
that this time things would be different.
I’d like to say that helping Mom
came easily. That I had made some
peace with my past and was able to fix a
problem that had plagued me since
elementary school. That, armed with
sympathy and an understanding of
Mom’s childhood, I was able to
patiently help Mom deal with her
addiction. But dealing with that sleazy
motel was hard. And actively managing
her finances, as I planned to do, required
more patience and time than I had.
By the grace of God, I no longer hide
from Mom. But I can’t fix everything,