Tear.

tear

/ter/

verb

1. 1.

   pull or rip (something) apart or to pieces with force.

Alexander, M. (1993).  Fault lines: A memoir (2nd ed.) [Kindle Fire version]. New York: The Feminist Press of the City University of New York.

I'll start off by saying how much respect I've gained for Meena Alexander.  She has gone through so much, and still has grace.  Her writing is fluid and ever changing, hence this is her second edition of her memoir.  She mentions that in order to "close this book" she had to go back home to India and return to her house of childhood.

I do believe that she realizes her own strength to keep moving forward in life but never truly forgetting our past.  You can't go back in time.  Once something is done, it's finite.  But, in writing you can go back and revise.  Making revisions can be a very therapeutic process.  I see this as possibly a reason for her going back to finish her memoir.  "Memory knits us together then tears us apart" (Chapter 15).

In the beginning of her memoir, Alexander mentions she is a "woman cracked by multiple migrations" (Chapter 1).  She is the definition of a diverse woman.  I say woman because I think gender plays a key role in this book.  Taking into account her upbringing and uprooting, she has become a very strong woman.  She's fought against standards set by her religious family and the standards set by our entire world or society.  If I had the same path as her, I would also struggle with my identity and place in this world.  I come from an entirely different background, and I struggled with my identity as well.  I still struggle.  It takes a great deal of gumption to dig deep and open up about struggle.

A question to think about for my final post...
In a world full of labels, how does one move past their "assigned" label and live a life full of love and not hate?

                    a choice that is tearing me apart

by LostOneself