An accident that nearly ended my life has opened me up When I was silenced I’d been quiet before. In May 2002, I finally opened my mouth and then fell silent. I had been keeping a terrible secret about my abusive past from everyone. I finally decided to come forward about what had happened…

My lifelong passion saved me — A writer at heart Once I knew how to write letters, I sounded them out into words and began writing stories. In fourth grade, I filled several legal pads with my handwritten story about a girl who spent an adventurous summer with her family and met a boy. …

The older I get, the younger I feel — I’ll bring donuts As a kid, I preferred being around adults rather than kids. I was very mature for my age, whatever age that was, and I’ve always been very reserved. As a young person, I found play useless and a waste of time. …

Air you can see after the pause, filling you with life — Taking the time to pause Every breath has a pause. Inhalation allows oxygen-rich air to fill your lungs. This, in turn, carries oxygen-rich blood to your cells and provides your body with the energy it needs to work. It gives your brain the oxygen it needs to contemplate your surroundings. The first pause is here…

Pay commensurate with experience — Who will feed Fido when you’re out of town? Dog boarding is common when people head out of town. But combining dog walking services with house sitting is popular, too. With this arrangement, one’s beloved pet remains in their home environment, a place of familiarity. The only change is the person or persons taking care of them. This setup…

What I know now, looking back at my epic failure — Pink display case of samples I moved halfway across the country, from a house with a basement to one that didn’t, which forced me to seriously de-clutter. As I was digging through items I no longer needed, I stumbled upon a Caboodles storage case I’d had from the early 1990s. I instantly remembered a similar-looking…

And she was only seven minutes late to work — My mom’s day started slowly; she was tired Temperatures plummeting below freezing with wind gusts carrying the ‘feels like’ temps closer to single digits, it was a frigid, gray morning. My mom’s three dogs were in the backyard, not unlike any other morning. Snow-covered frozen ground did not offer many escape options for small critters. My dad’s in…

And I’m sorry about what I said — Home movies My dad’s favorite way to experience life for years was through his 8mm camera lens. It seemed like he lugged that thing everywhere and captured most of my early childhood on film. He wore the camera so frequently that I may have thought it was a mechanical extension of his…

And the request for 19 marshmallows in hot chocolate — Nice dress shoes Today would’ve been Elvis Presley’s 88th birthday. He changed how we listen to music and inspired countless individuals and groups. Articles tell us he appreciated his fans, said he was nothing without them, was charitable, and never shirked serving his country. …