You don’t owe the world your smile. You don’t have to Nat King Cole your way through grief and heartbreak. You don’t have to fill your face with upward lines and a faked curve to make the world more comfortable or radiant.  You know the song: “Smile, though your heart is aching. Smile, even though it’s breaking….. Smile, what’s the use of crying. You’ll find…

Pull it together, there is no time for crying. Others will notice. It will cause discomfort and confusion.  Pull it together, there is no time for crying. There are children to tend to and tasks to be completed.  Pull it together, there is no time for crying. There are groceries to be collected and carts to be filled. Pull it together, there is no time…

I sit in this tiny and quaint coffee shop. It’s one of my favorites to visit when I come through this historic Indiana town. As I sip my maple latte, a beverage better than most deserts I’ve tasted, I’m drawn to the people around me. Usually I’m here only a few minutes, waiting on my drink, or simply passing the time in between appointments, with…

It wasn’t as simple as losing her. It wasn’t as delicate as passing away. It wasn’t as easy as any of those expressions. It was harsh and raw and messy. It wasn’t as peaceful as the movies or as gentle as you’d hope. It was unfair and incomprehensible.  She died. She took her last breaths. She slipped into eternity, leaving us here broken and confused.…

Light blue powder so faint it looked white, carefully placed in delicate lines waiting to be inhaled. A rolled up dollar bill in the hand of the man I thought I loved. Shocked eyes, wide open, surprised that the door had opened and suddenly exposed a hidden hobby and addiction. A loud slam as the door closed so quickly I could feel the draft of…