My niece announced on social media that she wrote and published a book. When I read the post, I reacted with quiet jealously. I coiled inside myself like nine-year-old me when my friend stepped onto the school bus wearing the prettiest dress I had ever seen -- clumps of purple grapes and green leaves splashed against an off-white fabric.
I am not proud of either of those reactions. For now, I will skip over the childhood memories and move on to my niece's exciting, shattering news, and before you flail me with a big stick, please know that I congratulated Lori, and that I created my own social media post touting her accomplishment, so my friends could see.
Nevertheless, I felt a twinge of despair, and this is why:
