Earthquake

– Ever felt an earthquake?

– No, but I’ve felt the ground give way beneath me. And that was the biggest shake of my life.

– That’s not the same thing.

– Isn’t it? It’s that same helpless feeling — not knowing what to do. No one sees it coming; it just hits you, and all you can do is hold tight. There’s no guide that tells you how to stay steady when everything inside you starts to tremble. And when it hits, the blows come harder, and everyone’s just trying to protect their own heart.

– And what about the ones who get hurt?

– That’s a kind of pain you can’t put right. But if you’ve ever felt the tremor I’m talking about, you’ll know it can go way past the top of the Richter scale.

– Maybe you’ve got a point.

– Do you know the difference between the biggest earthquake and mine?

– No.

– The biggest one lasted a month… and mine’s still shaking me.