Ms Kerry Graham

Monday marked a decade since I bought my house.

I’m 42. For ten of those 42 years, I have lived here, in my own home, alone. This is a long time and a significant portion of my life—and it’s really quite bad ass, especially given how brutal several years were. I worried some might actually kill me.

But. Even if the last decade had been more peachy than painful, I’d still be a bad ass. I own my home and I live alone and I’ve done both for a decade and I love so much about this life and even though/when it is so so so hard, I am so fu***ng proud of myself.

I’m posting this today, Wednesday, because it took me two days to decide I deserve to say it outloud. Next time, I’m not going to wait.

In fact, I might even throw myself a party.

“Lovely, well done on the work yesterday. Yours was the best out of everyone’s.”

She stares at me, so I stare back, and eventually say, “ . . . You heard me?”

“Yeah. Are you messing with me?”

“Girl what. Did you see your grade? It’s literally 100%.”

“Oh. Okay cool. Your voice is just so naturally sarcastic that I didn’t know if you was playin.”