But even though she was attractive, there was something else about her that caught his eye. She was intelligent, he could sense that right away, and confident, too, as if she were able to move through life on her own terms. To him, these were the things that really mattered. Without them, beauty was nothing.

It's impossible to protect your kids against disappointment in life.

Man and wife were supposed to stay together because they'd made their vows in front of God and family.

Love is a gift. You give love and that's where the joy is.

Poets knew that isolation in nature, far from people and things man-made, was good for the soul, and he'd always identified with poets.

He thought of her often, and he missed the companionship they'd once shared and the friendship that had been the bedrock of their marriage at its best.

And then I feel as if I'm witnessing a miracle, as ever so slowly she raises her face towards the moon. I watch her drink in the sight, sensing the flood of memories she's unleashed and wanting nothing more than to let her know I'm here. But instead I stay where I am and stare up at the moon as well. And for the briefest instant, it almost feels like we're together again.