Going home soon.

She stands in front of the mirror—shoulders a little stooped, eyes a little tired, skin mapped with a lifetime of stories. What she sees is an old lady. What I see is someone who’s survived more than most can imagine

.To be on this earth for so long and have no one by your side is a kind of strength people rarely talk about. Sure, solitude can be empowering. But hunger? Hunger is a different animal. Hunger hollows you out in body and spirit. Still, she wears her pride like armor. She never asked for help.

Not once. Not even when the cupboard held nothing but a half loaf of bread, a squeeze of ketchup, one lonely bean burrito, half a box of dry cereal, and just enough water to last her through nine and a half days!

.Can you say you’ve ever gone hungry like that? Most people can’t. Most people don’t want to think about it. It’s so much easier to judge, or to pretend you know what someone else is going through. But we don’t walk in other people’s shoes.

We don’t feel their hunger or taste their tears.

Maybe that’s what makes her resilient. Maybe that’s what makes her beautiful. She’s lived through scarcity, loneliness, and the ache of empty rooms—and she’s still here. Going home soon, head held high, dignity intact.