Whoever coined the phrase 'a man's got to play the hand that was dealt him' was most certainly one piss-poor bluffer.

I wanted to let the world know that no one had a perfect life, that even the people who seemed to have it all had their secrets.

....he said it was interesting. He used the word 'textured'. He said 'smooth' is boring but 'textured' was interesting, and the scar meant that I was stronger than whatever had tried to hurt me.

Fussing over children who cry only encourages them. That's positive reinforcement for negative behavior.

My life is not just about the past.

Those shining stars, he liked to point out, were one of the special treats for people like us who lived out in the wilderness. Rich city folks, he'd say, lived in fancy apartments, but their air was so polluted they couldn't even see the stars. We'd have to be out of our minds to want to trade places with any of them.

If you want to be reminded of the love of the Lord, just watch the sunrise.