So I had a good talk with my dad last night on the phone. It was rather surreal. Almost like a normal family. He talked to me about how he is, finally, selling the townhouse. He admitted how the only reason he ever bought it was because he felt that one day mom would return by his side. And he talked to me about how he finally realized that it's never going to happen. It was sad. I felt bad for him and for the fact that none of us, his children, were there to support him through the hard times.

There are things about him that irk me and things about the past I can never change. But he is still my father. I am glad that he seems to be turning around a bit in life. He's finally letting go of my mom and for once, he genuinely sounds happy. I hope that he can stay true to his decision and continue growing.

I imagine life will only be much harder from here on out, as it always is. But I also know that we'll probably be okay. Each of us encounter our own problems, our own tumbles down the stairs, and each of us take our own time climbing back up, even if it means crawling on our hands and knees. From time to time we'll slip and roll, back down to where we began, but with every fall our muscles grow and our bodies learn to adapt. After all, the first fall is always the hardest.