One night, six of us were sitting on the dirty concrete in a playground by swings that were swaying slightly in the breeze. Since it was late, there were no children running around or making a ruckus. Only us, with our big dreams and our everyday let-downs. We sat there, not saying a word, hoping this night would be the beginning of the change we all needed. With another summer ending, we stared up at the moonless sky and thought of a better life. A life where it didn’t matter what we looked like or how we dressed. It was in those moments when the stars were shining brightly, and the wind caressed our hair that we held onto the hope that happier days were ahead. Days when we could all feel a part of something good without it being wrecked by another overdose, suicide, or something even worse.
At the park, in that playground, we dreamed of being grown-ups and doing it better than our parents had.
~ Brenda Perlin