HOLD ON

 BY WALLACE CALEB BATES

Today, I chose to wear a familiar, old maroon sweater that had been hanging in the back of my closet. The sleeves are stretched, the color is faded, and the stitching is coming loose in places with little tethers barely holding on.


But it is still here.


It might be threadbare now, but it has never let go.


I often think about how some things stay together not because they are strong but because they are stubborn.


Generations of our people have held on despite economic uncertainty, unjust working conditions, and being overlooked. There is strength in that, yes, but also a kind of brave stubbornness that refuses to give up.


I will not throw out my old sweater. Some sweaters, like some stories, are worth keeping. As a writer, I will continue telling the stories of our Appalachian region and the people who have never unraveled.

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