Out of the Dust

Hannah let another tear drop on her pillow that night. She knew she had better stop or else she would have mud all over herself. This wasn’t a joke; she was serious. Hannah and her family were living in Oklahoma during the time of the Dust Bowl. Hannah’s father had been a farmer, but now he was just like the others trying to scrape money together to feed his family.

Hannah missed her old life. She missed her life before the dust. The next morning at breakfast, she shared her feelings.

“I’m sick of it!” she demanded. “I’m so tired of wiping dust off of everything.”

“We’re doing the best we can,” encouraged Hannah’s mother. “It won’t last forever you know.”

“What do you miss, Hannah?” asked her father.

“I miss our life. I miss laughing and playing outside without a handkerchief over my face. I miss sleeping in my bed without grains of sand to rub my skin raw. I miss dancing together as a family watching the moon come up.”

The family quietly finished their meal contemplating Hannah’s words. The day continued as usual, but when Hannah came to dinner that night, things were different. She was surprised to see the fancy dishes. She smelled meat cooking. They hadn’t had meat for months. Hannah put her hands over her mouth to see the dandelions in a bowl on the table. Just then, someone tapped her shoulder.

“Would you like to dance?” asked her father.

Hannah smiled and said, “Love to!”