Fixables

I picked up my repaired car from the collision repair shop on Wednesday – just in time for Thanksgiving. Looking at the damage immediately following the car accident, I wasn’t entirely certain whether the damage could be repaired or worthwhile given the age of the car (which, though not ancient, is no young chicken). I wonder the same about personal relationships.

At what point is it enough to forgive and (try to) forget? And at what point can you say that your feelings have suffered enough to just walk away without any further attempts at reconciliation? Am I just being silly or stubborn? Should I not have swept everything under the rug for so long to avoid conflict or confrontation?

My mother asked me how the repairs turned out. The new car panels are shiny and unblemished, like nothing had ever happened to it. But the door sounds empty and less hefty when I close it. It feels – and is – different.

College roommates during our July 4 trip to Ocean City this summer