Envision a road. It's a one-way street but has two lanes.
A woman is walking on it alone and struggling.
She has a large bag on her back, baggage from the past.
Every few steps she takes an item, looks at it, talks to it, then drops it.
In time, it was a lighter load and she was able to manage better
After a time, another joined her on the road.
He too had a bag on his back with baggage from the past.
But they soon were walking side by side and talking.
Before too long they were hand in hand.
Instead of the baggage, she was busy tending to his needs.
He did not know much about the road so she had to show him or do many things for him.
He couldn't eat much from places they came across, so she made special meals.
She didn't know much about the technology he carried with him, so he taught her.
They loved to travel together and enjoyed all of the imagination that comes from watching the night sky.
And together they continued on.
Within a short time she began to limp, limbs became damaged easy, the pain was so great.
Yet she continued to do more than her body could accept.
He was struggling with his emotions and memory, and she worried so much for him.
Along the way mistakes were made by him and he'd look away for long periods of time.
She forgave him and would try to move forward, though she was getting tired.
But he didn't seem to forgive her for any mistake she made.
She asked those they sometimes traveled with and those they knew from before on what he was upset about.
Were the perceived worse offenses so terrible? No one seemed to think so.
And so she kept walking, though now with a divider between the two, though side by side.
Her exhaustion was growing, but she leaned over the divider to tend to him while walking.
Sometimes he'd help her get to the side of the road for something needed.
But any time an injury would halt her, he'd linger a day or two but then move forward again.
She had to catch up or be left behind or watch him struggle as he still didn't know so much of the road.
The road became full of potholes.
Her injuries grew worse but she kept taking steps forward.
She found solace in the technology he taught her about, found an escape from the pain.
After all, he'd been escaping this way every day from their first moments together.
But that was an offense too she soon learned, and by now she was fighting fear.
He was walking on the far side of the road, away from her.
She'd go to the divider multiple times a day, to talk, to hand food, to offer help on something.
He'd look annoyed, but then complain that she wasn't doing it enough when around others.
It went on and on as she stumbled forward.
Some came and stood in the divider and tried to get them to walk closer again.
She'd walk along it, hugging it and doing what she could while hurting.
Then one day, he stopped responding at all.
And then pointed out that he was getting off at the next fork in the road.
She needed to prepare to be so damaged and continue forward on her own.
And now here she is, looking at that upcoming fork and wondering how she can.
She worries as he still doesn't know the road very well.
She's been doing so much for him... now she has this tiny window to finish showing him so he maybe can walk on his own.
She'll do this because she still loves him so.
And she'll do this while she has to figure out how to limp forward on her own too.
So damaged. So tired. But so determined.
Change is coming. She has to be ready.
