My son had nearly given up on attending prom with dignity when Viki arrived carrying the suit he had dreamed about for months.<\/p>\n
What she revealed moments later made our entire family question everything we believed we understood about sacrifice, courage, and love.<\/p>\n
I will never forget Tony\u2019s expression when he unzipped the velvet garment bag.<\/p>\n
A midnight-blue suit hung inside.<\/p>\n
His fingers froze against the zipper.<\/p>\n
His mouth opened, but no words came out.<\/p>\n
Then my sister-in-law reached for the knitted beanie covering her head.<\/p>\n
She slowly removed it.<\/p>\n
Where 28 inches of thick, dark hair had once fallen past her waist, there was now only smooth, bare skin.<\/p>\n
My husband demanded to know why she had done something so heartbreaking for a school dance.<\/p>\n
At first, we believed she had sacrificed the feature she loved most simply to make Tony\u2019s prom dream possible.<\/p>\n
We had no idea that the real reason was far more devastating.<\/p>\n
Before my husband, Evan, lost his job the previous winter, our home had always felt warm and secure.<\/p>\n
We laughed during dinner.<\/p>\n
We found ways to make ordinary weekends feel special.<\/p>\n
We did not have everything, but we had enough.<\/p>\n
After the layoff, every part of our life became measured.<\/p>\n
Each trip to the grocery store turned into mental arithmetic.<\/p>\n
Every bill felt like bad news waiting inside the mailbox.<\/p>\n
Evan woke before sunrise and searched job listings beside a mug of coffee that usually became cold before he drank it.<\/p>\n
He rewrote his r\u00e9sum\u00e9 repeatedly.<\/p>\n
He attended interviews.<\/p>\n
And he always returned home wearing the same exhausted smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey said they\u2019ll let me know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nobody ever did.<\/p>\n
I stretched every dollar as far as possible.<\/p>\n
I clipped coupons.<\/p>\n
Purchased discounted groceries.<\/p>\n
Canceled subscriptions.<\/p>\n
And postponed repairs that were not immediately necessary.<\/p>\n
It still never felt like enough.<\/p>\n
Our 17-year-old son, Tony, tried harder than anyone not to become another source of worry.<\/p>\n
He stopped mentioning the senior class trip.<\/p>\n
He never asked for new clothing.<\/p>\n
Instead, he found two part-time jobs.<\/p>\n
Three afternoons each week, he stocked shelves at a grocery store.<\/p>\n
On weekends, he worked at a movie theater, sweeping popcorn from beneath seats and tearing tickets at the entrance.<\/p>\n
One night, I found him asleep at the kitchen table.<\/p>\n
His history textbook was open in front of him.<\/p>\n
A half-eaten sandwich rested beside his elbow.<\/p>\n
His paycheck lay beneath a calculator.<\/p>\n
I gently touched his shoulder.<\/p>\n
\u201cHoney, go upstairs and sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n
His eyes opened slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat time is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAlmost midnight.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a chemistry test tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou also worked nine hours today.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then I noticed the notebook beside him.<\/p>\n
He had carefully listed every paycheck and every expense.<\/p>\n
At the bottom of the page, he had written one word.<\/p>\n
Prom.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have been saving for that?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
He looked embarrassed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know it isn\u2019t important.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is important.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tony lowered his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just wanted one night when I didn\u2019t feel different.\u201d<\/p>\n
Those words remained with me long after he went upstairs.<\/p>\n
He was not asking for a car.<\/p>\n
He did not want designer shoes or an expensive watch.<\/p>\n
He wanted one evening when he could walk into a room looking like every other senior.<\/p>\n
But the prom ticket was only the beginning.<\/p>\n
There would be dinner.<\/p>\n
Photographs.<\/p>\n
Transportation.<\/p>\n
And the suit.<\/p>\n
Even the rental prices made my stomach tighten.<\/p>\n
A tailored suit was completely beyond our reach.<\/p>\n
One Saturday, I took Tony to a thrift store.<\/p>\n
We searched every rack.<\/p>\n
Some jackets were too large.<\/p>\n
Others were stained, badly worn, or looked as though they had been hanging there for several decades.<\/p>\n
Tony held up a faded brown coat.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about this one?\u201d<\/p>\n
I forced a smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt looks vintage.\u201d<\/p>\n
He laughed quietly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think \u2018old\u2019 is the word you\u2019re trying to avoid.\u201d<\/p>\n
We left without buying anything.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s okay, Mom,\u201d he said as we walked toward the car.<\/p>\n
But it was not okay.<\/p>\n
Several days later, I overheard him speaking to a friend.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll probably wear Uncle Ben\u2019s old coat.\u201d<\/p>\n
He paused to listen.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, it\u2019s fine. I\u2019m still going.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another pause.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t care what anyone thinks.\u201d<\/p>\n
His voice broke slightly.<\/p>\n
I knew that he did care.<\/p>\n
After ending the call, Tony sat outside on the porch for almost an hour, staring toward the street.<\/p>\n
I watched him through the kitchen window and wished I could repair everything that had gone wrong in our lives.<\/p>\n
Viki, Evan\u2019s younger sister, visited us most Sundays.<\/p>\n
She was independent, thoughtful, and quietly confident.<\/p>\n
She worked as a freelance graphic designer and remembered every birthday in the family.<\/p>\n
The first thing strangers noticed about her was always her hair.<\/p>\n
It was thick, naturally wavy, and so dark that it appeared almost black.<\/p>\n
It extended past her waist and measured 28 inches from the back of her neck.<\/p>\n
People regularly stopped her in public to compliment it.<\/p>\n
Small children had asked whether she was a princess.<\/p>\n
Viki always laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is only hair.\u201d<\/p>\n
But I knew how much it meant to her.<\/p>\n
She spent hours caring for it.<\/p>\n
She used oils.<\/p>\n
Brushed it gently.<\/p>\n
Slept on silk pillowcases.<\/p>\n
Avoided harsh chemicals.<\/p>\n
And refused to use a hair dryer.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has taken my whole life to grow it this long,\u201d she once told me. \u201cI\u2019m not destroying it with heat.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tony often teased her about it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf zombies ever attack, Aunt Viki, they\u2019ll catch you by your hair.\u201d<\/p>\n
She would throw it over one shoulder.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen I\u2019ll distract them while you escape.\u201d<\/p>\n
She adored him.<\/p>\n
She remembered his favorite candy.<\/p>\n
Asked about his classes.<\/p>\n
And always knew when he had an important examination.<\/p>\n
When Tony began working two jobs, she noticed immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou look exhausted,\u201d she told him one Sunday.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have lost weight.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve just been busy.\u201d<\/p>\n
After he went upstairs, she turned toward me.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs everything all right?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are managing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cKris.\u201d<\/p>\n
I sighed.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s prom.\u201d<\/p>\n
Understanding crossed her face.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe wants a decent suit,\u201d I said. \u201cHe has worked so hard, and he deserves one. But we simply cannot afford it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Viki reached across the table and squeezed my hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou will find a solution.\u201d<\/p>\n
I wanted to believe her.<\/p>\n
Instead, I cried after she left.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The prom deadline came closer.<\/p>\n
Three weeks became two.<\/p>\n
Then only ten days remained.<\/p>\n
Tony continued counting his savings, but the total was never enough.<\/p>\n
Eventually, he stopped speaking about the suit.<\/p>\n
One Friday evening, Evan brought Uncle Ben\u2019s old charcoal coat into Tony\u2019s room.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think this might fit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tony put it on.<\/p>\n
The shoulders were far too broad.<\/p>\n
The sleeves extended beyond his hands.<\/p>\n
The coat seemed to swallow him.<\/p>\n
Tony looked at himself in the mirror and forced a smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Evan stared at his reflection.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d he whispered. \u201cIt won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tony carefully removed it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI appreciate it, Dad. It will be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was the most painful part.<\/p>\n
He never blamed us.<\/p>\n
His kindness only made the guilt heavier.<\/p>\n
The following afternoon, I was folding laundry while Evan repaired a loose cabinet hinge.<\/p>\n
Tony was at work.<\/p>\n
At approximately four o\u2019clock, the front door opened.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m in here,\u201d Viki called.<\/p>\n
She entered the living room carrying a velvet garment bag.<\/p>\n
A soft knitted beanie was pulled low over her head, even though the weather was unusually warm.<\/p>\n
\u201cAren\u2019t you hot wearing that?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
She gave me a faint smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll survive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Something about her seemed different.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is in the bag?\u201d Evan asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s for Tony.\u201d<\/p>\n
She leaned it carefully against the sofa.<\/p>\n
\u201cTell him to come in here when he gets home.\u201d<\/p>\n
An hour later, Tony returned from work looking exhausted.<\/p>\n
Viki held out the garment bag.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe this belongs to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
He unzipped it slowly.<\/p>\n
Inside hung the exact midnight-blue suit he had admired online for weeks.<\/p>\n
The suit he had saved photographs of.<\/p>\n
The suit he had accepted he would never own.<\/p>\n
Tears immediately filled his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cAunt Viki, I\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
His voice disappeared.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t accept this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can,\u201d she said gently. \u201cIt is yours.\u201d<\/p>\n
Evan stared at the expensive fabric.<\/p>\n
Then he looked at his sister.<\/p>\n
\u201cViki, how did you pay for this?\u201d<\/p>\n
She lowered her eyes.<\/p>\n
Then she lifted both hands to the edge of her beanie.<\/p>\n
A strange pressure formed inside my chest.<\/p>\n
\u201cViki?\u201d I whispered. \u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
She slowly removed it.<\/p>\n
I stopped breathing.<\/p>\n
Tony gasped.<\/p>\n
Evan simply stared at her.<\/p>\n
Her beautiful dark waves were gone.<\/p>\n
Every inch.<\/p>\n
The woman who had spent her entire life carefully growing and protecting 28 inches of hair now stood before us completely bald.<\/p>\n
Tony looked from her head to the suit.<\/p>\n
\u201cAunt Viki,\u201d he whispered. \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
She folded the beanie carefully between her hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cI sold it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The words seemed to stop the room.<\/p>\n
\u201cI found a wigmaker who purchases long, healthy hair,\u201d she explained. \u201cHe paid enough for me to buy the suit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Evan\u2019s expression changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou sold all your hair?\u201d<\/p>\n
She nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll 28 inches.\u201d<\/p>\n
He shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, Viki.\u201d<\/p>\n
His voice rose as tears appeared in his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should not have sacrificed something so important for one school dance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Viki remained calm.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you understand how beautiful your hair was?\u201d Evan continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou cared for it your entire life.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should have spoken to us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all knew you could not afford the suit.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe would have found another solution.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI could not let Tony miss this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Evan gestured toward the garment bag.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you believe he will want to wear it after discovering what it cost you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI won\u2019t,\u201d Tony said.<\/p>\n
We all turned toward him.<\/p>\n
Tears streamed down his face.<\/p>\n
\u201cI cannot wear it.\u201d<\/p>\n
He closed the garment bag and pushed it toward her.<\/p>\n
\u201cTake it back.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou worked extremely hard for this,\u201d Viki said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo did you.\u201d<\/p>\n
His voice broke.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t deserve your hair.\u201d<\/p>\n
Viki took a slow breath.<\/p>\n
Then she stepped closer to Evan and gently took his trembling hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was not going to keep it much longer anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n
Evan frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
Viki swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI begin chemotherapy next week.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Every bit of strength seemed to leave my body.<\/p>\n
For several seconds, I wondered whether I had heard correctly.<\/p>\n
Evan stared at his sister.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was diagnosed three weeks ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe doctors want to begin treatment immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou never told us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
Viki smiled sadly.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I wanted several more weeks when I was not the woman everyone looked at with pity.\u201d<\/p>\n
A tear moved down my cheek.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe oncologist warned me that the treatment would cause my hair to fall out,\u201d she continued.<\/p>\n
She touched her bare scalp.<\/p>\n
\u201cI kept imagining waking up and finding it scattered across my pillow.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her voice trembled.<\/p>\n
\u201cI could not bear the thought of watching it disappear little by little.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nobody interrupted her.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I made the decision myself.\u201d<\/p>\n
She glanced toward the garment bag.<\/p>\n
\u201cCancer is already taking so many decisions away from me.\u201d<\/p>\n
She pressed her lips together.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was one thing I could still control.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her eyes moved toward Tony.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf my hair had to go, I wanted it to mean something.\u201d<\/p>\n
She explained that the wigmaker would use it to create hairpieces for people who had lost their own.<\/p>\n
The money had been enough to purchase Tony\u2019s suit.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted him to have the night he had worked so hard for.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tony crossed the room and wrapped both arms around her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am so sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Viki held him tightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have nothing to apologize for.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know, sweetheart.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI never would have asked you to do this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn\u2019t ask.\u201d<\/p>\n
He pulled away and wiped his face.<\/p>\n
\u201cI still cannot wear it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, you can.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
Viki placed one hand against his cheek.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I did not lose my hair for nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked directly into his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI chose where it went and what it gave to someone I love.\u201d<\/p>\n
I replayed the previous weeks in my mind.<\/p>\n
Viki\u2019s tired smile.<\/p>\n
The moments when she appeared distracted.<\/p>\n
The beanie.<\/p>\n
The way she occasionally pressed a hand against her side.<\/p>\n
How had I failed to see it?<\/p>\n
Evan pulled his sister into his arms.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should have told me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was going to.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I knew how.\u201d<\/p>\n
He held her more tightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou do not have to work this out alone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d I said, stepping beside them. \u201cYou never did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Viki looked toward me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did not want my diagnosis to become everyone else\u2019s burden.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is not a burden,\u201d I replied.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is our fight too because we love you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fresh tears filled her eyes.<\/p>\n
Tony lifted the garment bag.<\/p>\n
He stared at it for several seconds before looking at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I wear this suit, I will wear it for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Viki shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou will wear it for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut every time I see it, I will remember how brave you are.\u201d<\/p>\n
She laughed softly through her tears.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would prefer that you remember to enjoy the night.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI do not think I will ever forget this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood,\u201d she said. \u201cBecause I expect photographs.\u201d<\/p>\n
That made all of us laugh, even while we continued crying.<\/p>\n
During the next hour, Viki explained everything.<\/p>\n
The diagnosis.<\/p>\n
Her doctors.<\/p>\n
The treatment schedule.<\/p>\n
The appointments she had attended alone.<\/p>\n
She admitted that she was terrified.<\/p>\n
So were we.<\/p>\n
But once the fear was shared, it felt slightly smaller.<\/p>\n
Before Viki left, Evan stopped her at the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are coming with you next week.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou do not have to.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are coming.\u201d<\/p>\n
I nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo every appointment where you want us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tony gave her a weak smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd if you need someone to bring terrible hospital coffee, I\u2019m your person.\u201d<\/p>\n
Viki laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will remember that.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Prom arrived several weeks later.<\/p>\n
Tony stood in front of the mirror wearing the midnight-blue suit he had dreamed about for months.<\/p>\n
It fit him perfectly.<\/p>\n
The shoulders rested exactly where they should.<\/p>\n
The trousers had been tailored to the correct length.<\/p>\n
Against the white shirt, the color looked almost black until the light revealed the blue.<\/p>\n
Viki had already started chemotherapy.<\/p>\n
She looked tired, but when she entered the room and saw him, her face immediately brightened.<\/p>\n
For one brief second, she lifted her hand as though she were about to tuck her hair behind her ear.<\/p>\n
Then she remembered it was gone.<\/p>\n
Tony noticed.<\/p>\n
Without speaking, he crossed the room and embraced her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou look handsome,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause of you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Viki replied. \u201cBecause you worked for this.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stepped back.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll be home before midnight.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou had better not be,\u201d she said. \u201cYou waited too long for this night.\u201d<\/p>\n
He laughed and kissed her cheek.<\/p>\n
When Tony walked through the front door, his shoulders were held high.<\/p>\n
He no longer looked like the boy who had sat alone on the porch wondering whether he belonged.<\/p>\n
He looked proud.<\/p>\n
The midnight-blue suit had become more than an outfit for prom.<\/p>\n
It carried Tony\u2019s hard work.<\/p>\n
Viki\u2019s courage.<\/p>\n
And the promise that our family would face whatever came next together.<\/p>\n
She attended treatment surrounded by people who loved her.<\/p>\n
Evan drove her to appointments.<\/p>\n
I prepared meals she could tolerate when the medication made her sick.<\/p>\n
Tony delivered the terrible hospital coffee he had promised.<\/p>\n
Some days were frightening.<\/p>\n
Some were painful.<\/p>\n
There were mornings when Viki was too exhausted to speak and evenings when she laughed so loudly that the nurses asked us to quiet down.<\/p>\n
She never became only a diagnosis.<\/p>\n
We did not allow cancer to erase the woman she had been before it arrived.<\/p>\n
She was still the aunt who remembered every birthday.<\/p>\n
The sister who teased Evan about his terrible cooking.<\/p>\n
The woman who complained that hospital blankets were designed by people who hated comfort.<\/p>\n
And the person who had turned something she was about to lose into dignity for someone she loved.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
For a long time, Tony struggled with guilt over the suit.<\/p>\n
He treated it as if it were something sacred.<\/p>\n
After prom, he had it professionally cleaned and stored inside the same velvet garment bag.<\/p>\n
One evening, Viki found him staring at it.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou regret wearing it?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
He hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just wish you had not needed to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo do I.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her honesty surprised him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wish I did not have cancer,\u201d she continued. \u201cI wish I still had my hair. I wish none of us had experienced any of this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then she touched the garment bag.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut wishing does not change what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked at Tony.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat matters is what we choose to do with what happens to us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tony nodded slowly.<\/p>\n
Several months later, he volunteered at a fundraiser supporting patients receiving cancer treatment.<\/p>\n
He wore the midnight-blue suit.<\/p>\n
When someone complimented it, he told them about Viki.<\/p>\n
Not as a tragedy.<\/p>\n
As a person who refused to let illness make every decision for her.<\/p>\n
The suit reminded us that accepting another person\u2019s sacrifice did not mean carrying guilt forever.<\/p>\n
It meant honoring the love behind it.<\/p>\n
Tony honored Viki by wearing it proudly.<\/p>\n
We honored her by remaining beside her through treatment.<\/p>\n
And Viki honored herself by choosing what her hair would become before cancer could choose for her.<\/p>\n
That afternoon in our living room, we believed she had given away her greatest source of beauty.<\/p>\n
We were wrong.<\/p>\n
Her hair had never been the most beautiful thing about her.<\/p>\n
Her courage was.<\/p>\n
Her honesty.<\/p>\n
Her ability to turn fear into generosity.<\/p>\n
And her determination to face the hardest period of her life without allowing the people she loved to face it from a distance.<\/p>\n
The midnight-blue suit helped Tony walk into prom with dignity.<\/p>\n
But the greater gift was what Viki taught all of us afterward.<\/p>\n
Love is not measured only by what someone is willing to sacrifice.<\/p>\n
It is also measured by whether we remain when that person finally needs something in return.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
My son had nearly given up on attending prom with dignity when Viki arrived carrying the suit he had dreamed about for\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":39657,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39656","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n