I always thought my mother was rigid
harsh
rude
and unforgiving
when it came to outsiders
she didn't put up with people if she didn't feel like it
she never let people ******* her
she was confrontational
and I didn't understand
I just thought she was stubborn
but maybe
she had just been run over
enough times
that she wasn't willing
to let someone throw her under the bus
maybe she could see it coming
when someone wasn't being real with her
maybe she had the right
to stand up for herself