by Stephanie Grand

Because I know exactly what Heraclitus meant when he said that no one ever steps in the same river twice.

Because when I was fourteen, I thought my greatest joy would be my wedding day and that nothing would ever top the pain of losing my parents, and now my belly is dotted with hysterectomy scars and I’ve learned there is more pain and joy in the world than I could ever imagine.

Because when the air between us is taut like the surface of a bubble and you say I’ve changed, my impulse is to respond, “Why haven’t you?”

Stephanie Grand is an Iranian-American writer. You can sometimes find her on Twitter @_stephaniegrand.