I put down the bread and the cup and get up on my knees, twisting a little. I pull up my shirt so she can see my wound. She gives it a sympathetic frown. “I can clean that.” She gets up and goes for something. When I was a kid and skinned my knee or cut myself, it didn’t ever really hurt that bad until I saw my mom. Then I would cry. I never fully felt the pain until it was safe to.

–Russel Rathbun, Midrash on the Juanitos

Painting by James Jean

Tags:Biblical CommentaryJames JeanMidrashMidrash on the JuanitospainRussel Rathbunsuffering