words after dark - the glass castle by jeannette walls

I was trying not to cry for almost the entirety of this reading. Partly because this book, and specifically this chapter, has found a home in my heart, partly because I miss my Dad, but mostly because this story hits extra hard right now given the state of the world and all that’s been stripped away. I found an immense comfort in the sentiment of simplicity—connecting to the true nature of my being, needing only to be loved and to love, and the pure existence of the universe itself. ⁣
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As I read these words by Jeannette Walls, some spoken by her father, I can hear my own Dad’s voice in the desert night. I can see the stars and feel the cool temperatures on my skin. I can smell the dry earth under our heads as we look up at the dark sky. I can taste the dust in the hopeful air. Have a listen—I hope you can see yourself there under the stars.⁣

The song you hear is titled “You’ll Still Have Your Stars”— Perry found the sentence underlined in my copy of The Glass Castle and wrote this song and made my heart explode.