Don't Give Up On You
It had been exactly 11 months and 6 days since Vanessa walked out of the courtroom with her head down and her heart shattered.
Twenty years of marriage—gone.
Not in a dramatic explosion, but a quiet unraveling. The kind of unraveling that happens when dreams go silent, when laughter becomes awkward, and when you start asking yourself who you’ve become in the mirror.
On the morning of what would’ve been their anniversary, she didn’t plan on doing anything special. In fact, she wasn’t planning to do anything at all—until she noticed the red hat hanging by the door. It had been a gift from her daughter, Malani, who gave it to her the day she moved into her new apartment.
“No Excuse Today, Ma. Even if you just take a walk. Start again. Just don’t give up on you.”
Vanessa hadn’t worn it yet. She didn’t feel deserving of its message. But something about today—the stillness, the weight of the date—compelled her.
She put it on. Looked at herself in the mirror. Her smile was soft. Wounded, but still there. And she whispered, “No excuses.”
She stepped outside, the sun wrapping her like a warm reassurance. The walk was quiet at first, but then she noticed small things: the little girl jumping rope with her dad on the sidewalk… the older couple holding hands and laughing over spilled ice cream… the street musician playing “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” like it was his personal anthem.
For the first time in months, Vanessa didn’t feel invisible.
At the corner café, a young woman tapped her on the shoulder.
“Excuse me… I love your hat. I’m trying to start over too. That message hit me.”
Vanessa took a breath. Looked at the stranger with gentle eyes. “It’s a daily reminder. One step. One decision. One little brave thing.”
The young woman smiled and nodded. “Can I sit with you?”
They sat, shared stories, and laughed like they had known each other forever.
That day, Vanessa didn’t just take a walk.
She came home to herself.
And the red No Excuse Today hat? It wasn’t just something she wore anymore.
It was who she became.
One brave step at a time.
No Excuse Today.
Javonne