sunday_reveries -
"We mortals, men and women, devour many a disappointment between breakfast and dinnertime, keep back the tears and look a little pale about the lips, and in answer to inqueries say 'Oh, nothing!' Pride helps us, and pride is not a bad thing when it only urges us to hide our own hurts--not to hurt others." -George Eliot
The last thing she would ever do is burden anyone.
I'm fine is easier than I'm falling apart.
Just the usual keeps up appearances better than I'm lonely.
Most days she is fine, and most days, she loves the usual. All other days, smiles come more naturally than tears, even when nature is against it and all evidence is to the contrary. Her father taught her to smile, or rather forced her to learn how. She didn't appreciate the true value of human emotions until she left his house. Jonathan told her to smile only when she felt it. He used to say that a fake smile only lessens the value of a real one.
Martha smiles when Grace responds to her five-minute voicemails with one-word text messages. She smiles when Perry's secretary tells her he's in a meeting, and smiles when he forgets to call her back. She smiles when Clark promises he'll come over for dinner soon, and smiles when he opts to save the world instead. She even smiles when Lionel tells her how happy he is with someone else. Martha has a smile for everyone. Even for the mirror.
Smiling keeps everyone else happy. Sometimes it even reminds her to be happy. Happy is what should happen when you're alive, she tells herself. But then she's alone again and she forgets what that means.
The last thing she would ever do is burden anyone.
I'm fine is easier than I'm falling apart.
Just the usual keeps up appearances better than I'm lonely.
Most days she is fine, and most days, she loves the usual. All other days, smiles come more naturally than tears, even when nature is against it and all evidence is to the contrary. Her father taught her to smile, or rather forced her to learn how. She didn't appreciate the true value of human emotions until she left his house. Jonathan told her to smile only when she felt it. He used to say that a fake smile only lessens the value of a real one.
Martha smiles when Grace responds to her five-minute voicemails with one-word text messages. She smiles when Perry's secretary tells her he's in a meeting, and smiles when he forgets to call her back. She smiles when Clark promises he'll come over for dinner soon, and smiles when he opts to save the world instead. She even smiles when Lionel tells her how happy he is with someone else. Martha has a smile for everyone. Even for the mirror.
Smiling keeps everyone else happy. Sometimes it even reminds her to be happy. Happy is what should happen when you're alive, she tells herself. But then she's alone again and she forgets what that means.