[ TT ] All your friends and family are slowly changing . They do n't notice the difference , but you certainly do ...


 Two weeks ago my mother walked through the front door after work and I noticed her hair was more grey than it was before, and there were a couple more wrinkles in her face. I hadn ’ t seen them before, but in this lighting it was easy. She ’ s been dealing with a lot of stress lately, and she just turned 50, so it makes sense. I didn ’ t comment on it, though. I didn ’ t want to embarrass her. 
 
 A few years ago my dad got into a bad accident and shattered his left foot. He had to go to rehab and learn how to walk again, but ever since then he ’ s been in pain after work, considering he has to stand up all day. Lately, the pain has been getting worse, though. I can tell by the way he winces when he stands up. He carries himself up and down the stairs using his arms, not his legs. It ’ s wearing him down. I don ’ t comment on it, though. I don ’ t know if he ’ s even realized that it ’ s gotten progressively worse. 
 
 Last night my sister went out with some of her friends. She drinks, like nearly every other 20 something in this town. She used to always come in after going out, flip on the TV set, and fall asleep on our couch. These past 4 weekends she just goes straight to her bedroom. She doesn ’ t make it to her bed though, just the floor right beside it. I don ’ t comment on it, though. She ’ d probably think I was insinuating something from it, and get all defensive. 
 
 We don ’ t have family dinners anymore. Or play games. In fact, we barely speak. I get home from school and go to the basement. My dad comes home and goes upstairs, my sister sits in the living room, and my mom makes dinner. We get our food and go back to our respective places. Everyone falls asleep around 10 or 11. We don ’ t really spend much time together. I don ’ t comment on it, though. I don ’ t know if it matters to anyone else, and I don ’ t want to make anybody upset. 

