At least once in your life you may experience a bad break or a traumatic experience. It could be a cancer diagnosis, the death of a loved one, a marriage gone sour, or loss of a job or business. Setbacks and stumbling blocks are facts of life.

Because of my childhood, my daughter will never have to question whether she is good enough. Because of my childhood, my daughter will never have to feel responsible for repairing an unhappy home. Because of my childhood, my daughter will always hear how strong and smart and capable she is.

On a first date with the last guy I dated before meeting my husband, he casually asked, in between sake shots, "So your parents are divorced, huh? You don't have all sorts of crazy daddy issues, do you?" Why yes, unkind sir. Yes, I do.

Who knows how old I was? It was the age of strings of lights with screw-in bulbs that squeaked with age and once-a-year use when you tightened the ones that worked themselves loose over the seasons. The one in my hand was a dull red, almost dusty rose with age. How could that be pretty on the tree?