brand new day

It's a lot to ask of our seventeen and eighteen year olds to know what they want to do with the rest of their lives, isn't it? Some do, but others, like my daughter Grace, do not. And that's okay. She thinks the syllogism of her life is; elementary school + middle school + high school + college = the rest of her life. It may feel like that to her, but it's not. College is just the next step in her life, not the defining step. It's hard to see the bigger picture at seventeen years old when there's still so much life to experience. The summer before her junior year, she had to face what life after high school is going to look like. She knew it would be college, but that was about it. She was overwhelmed and didn't know where to start. What doorways would she have to walk through to get where she wanted to be? A lot. But I knew she could do it, because I have watched Grace go through doorways her whole life.  There was Kindergarten Grace who fearlessly walked i

     I wrote a book, well, I wrote a second revision of my book. It's personal and in it, I expose the darkest time in my life. It is raw and vulnerable. I don't hold back talking about my shortcomings and the emotional abuse I endured. Admittedly, it is a hard read and has some difficult content and mature themes.      I was so lonely and broken during that time, and after I made it out of that relationship, I realized that I wasn't alone. And that realization was integral in my healing. I wrote this book to tell my story, but more importantly to help those who have had similar experiences; to give them a voice and hope. I also wrote it for the friends and family of those who struggle with depression and living in an abusive relationship. I hope to offer insight on what it is to be tapped in the middle of abuse.       I'm in the process of getting beta readers to critique it to get some constructive feedback so I can improve the book. I received a harsh critique the ot