“Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair”. That’s what Langston Hughes’ mother always told him. Life’s not perfect and pure. It has its faults and uncertainties. She talks of the splinters you will get and the boards that get torn up. Splinters representing the many small pains you will inquire and the boards being relationships long gone. Whether with a friend, family member, or even a lover, bonds will be broken and boards will be torn.
As you hear the mother speak of the hardships she had to face, it sets the tone of sorrow. Picturing the labor people like her we forced through and the little reward and gratitude they were granted. It is hard to understand her exact circumstances, though we all can relate in different ways. I feel pitiful when reading this, yet it inspires me to live my life more fully and entirely. It also helps me understand that nothing is perfect, for anyone, so when I’m struggling I won’t let it knock me over, I won’t get down. I will get up and keep climbing…the not- so crystal stairs.
