Fragility

All humans are fragile.  We are physically fragile at birth, and need protection and nurturing to survive.  Our fragility can appear to lessen as we go through life until we are very old, but in reality we are always fragile.

In many of the books I read, a person's fragility is exploited, simply because they don't have a support system in place that offers them the opportunity to admit to their own fragility.

The world I have created in my books is full of people who are always aware of how fragile we are, and how much we need community to thrive.

One of my main characters, Belinda (Bee) Collins, had a psychotic break while in college, and spent time in the hospital on her road to recovery.  Another, Prescott Bourgeois, suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after serving in the army in Vietnam.  Marie Theriot is a domestic violence survivor.

Each of these characters took a different path to a fulfilling life.  They all struggled, and continue to struggle at times through the challenges their lives present.  But all of them are surrounded by supportive community, and all actively work to help others who are struggling.

The gift our fragility gives us is empathy.  For all of us who have been broken at one time or another, we can be honest about our brokenness, and give others permission to share their brokenness with us.

All humans are fragile.  We need community to survive and thrive in a difficult and challenging world.  I can't fix the problems in the real world, but my imaginary community of Bayou Beni can provide a respite from reality, and a blue print for how to live openly and lovingly in a world where fragility is recognized and embraced.