I was wearing this t-shirt the other day.

It was a “you think your life is bad, I dare you to try mine” day.

I was feeling righteous.

I was feeling mad.

I was feeling “How dare you world go on and leave me here, in this life, struggling today to just do enough.

How dare you!”

I was willing to take it out on any poor sap who dared comment about death sucking.

So I put on the t-shirt, hoping that one person would comment,

would open their mouth and say

“Life can’t be that bad.” or something that would let me tell them

how bad my life was at the moment.

And then I saw her.

This young woman.

She made eye contact

and came towards me, purposefully.

I rehearsed my lines in my head.

She smiled.

She leaned into me, gently holding my arm and said

“I’m so glad you are wearing that t-shirt. I sometimes think I am the only one who truly believes that Jesus will rise again. Death does suck and that’s why it does not happen to the believers. God bless you.”

I give her a faint smile.

I nod.

I leave the grocery story.

I laugh

all the way home.

I take off the shirt.

My death suckiness day having come to an abrupt end.