Sandy Supposes....

Fraying

PROMPT: What does "Fraying at the Edges" mean to you?

          When I envision fraying I recall the work shirts of my father, a diesel mechanic. His collars and shirt cuffs were frayed/worn by years of manual labour. I remember a hard-working man making sacrifices for his family. There were probably moments when his nerves were fraying, stretched taut by worry and the many challenges we kids instigated.

         I think of a favourite family sofa frayed , tattered, and worn thin by years of abuse. It hosted movie-watching marathons, arguments and meltdowns, heart-to-heart talks, and sleep-free slumber parties.

         My eldest granddaughter, Sydney, has a battered, bald, scruffy, one-eyed stuffed dog, simply named Puppy Dog. He has been her silent supporter for fifteen years, and for much of that time he accompanied her everywhere. He survived two nights alone, locked in a dark store. He endured mud and blood. He fell from wagons and bikes. He endured an eye transplant and plastic surgery. Sydney loved the fur right off his body. He was well-worn and well-loved.

         Fraying at the edges means something has served a noble purpose. It has been used repeatedly, but survives nonetheless.