Naomi asked people to call her “bitter” after losing everything. Her story wasn’t over. Neither is yours.

A woman comes home with nothing left and tells the neighbours to call her by a name meaning bitter. She was not exaggerating or being dramatic. That was an accurate report of where she stood, and nobody in the story corrects her for it. What was not accurate was the assumption that the report was final.

If you are in a stretch like that, you are allowed to say so plainly, without dressing it up. Say it to one person this week rather than carrying it alone. You do not have to believe anything about the ending yet.