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T H E W R I T E P U R P O S E<br />
CHRISTY K. TRUITT<br />
The Best Four Letter Word<br />
Ahhhhhh. Love. The most beautiful of four-letter words. Also, the most diluted in the Englishspeaking<br />
language (based on a survey created and completed by me). I love cheese. I love sausage.<br />
I love sausage and cheese on Tostito chips. I love Auburn athletics. I love a throwback tennis match<br />
between Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi.<br />
I love sunsets.<br />
How do you deepen a word used for frivolous things? What makes it different to tell your children<br />
you love them versus a green light when you’re 15 minutes late for work?<br />
I’ll tell you how. It’s when you love during the tough times. When you don’t give up on someone who<br />
lets you down. And by someone, I mean you. And me. When we fail ourselves.<br />
When you don’t recognize yourself in the mirror. When your body has plumped out from babies<br />
and age and gravity. When disease leaves train-track scars where your breasts used to be. When<br />
intimidation creates doubt in the job you’ve worked so hard to achieve. Previous failures elbow their<br />
way forward in your identity. When you yell at your children and cry yourself to sleep.<br />
When you can look at this unrecognizable crazy person in the mirror and blow her (or him) a kiss on<br />
your way out of the door, then you, my friend, know a very deep feeling of love.<br />
I don’t love a green light that turns to red. I hated when Pete Sampras would lose. And I despise<br />
when Auburn falls to any opponent. But I’ve grown to love myself even at my worst. I’d never turn<br />
my back on my children. And even though the moon wipes out a sunset, I know the sun will bring<br />
another one the next day.<br />
80 EAST ALABAMA WEDDINGS
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