What to say about me?  I prefer the “less is better” method in most cases.

My life, like many others, has taken so many twists and turns that have left a trail of scars and wounds that have and continue to shape me.  My early years seemed full of possibility and the idea that things just go right but experience has taught me that isn’t always the case.  Along the way, I have been forced to be a bit more introspective and have learned there are things about me that people seem to like and things about me that I want to rip out and leave behind.  It’s in the conflict of these areas that I spend much of my writing time.

Some would call me a pessimist but I don’t feel that way.  I think I easily see the suffering in my life and understand it well in others lives.  I believe this leads me to be more compassionate and empathetic with people and less of a cheerleader.  I don’t believe “everything will work out” because I look around and see life not working out for so many.  Has life worked out for children who have been abused?  For parents who have lost children?  Yes, life goes on and it’s up to each of us to make choices how we will approach it but it doesn’t mean life isn’t without wounds that hurt deeply and daily or without scars that leave people wondering, “what happened to that person?”

My writing won’t be full of good cheer but the message, I hope and pray, is that in the worst parts of life there are people around who will understand, who will listen, who will help carry the burdens, who will cry in the darkest times and laugh in the lighter moments, who will be there for me and for you in the hardest moments of our life when we feel the fierce blow of pain and suffering and who will be there as we wander back into the life that goes on whether we want it to or not.  Some wounds never heal completely but I want to be someone who is a balm for the wounded, who can help them find a time of peace in the midst of a storm, who can assure them that the greatest love does hold the victory and that the God of the universe does know suffering and love and the power of each in it’s rightful place.

I have two children that are the joys of this life, a dog who needs to learn better manners and a cat who likes to be around me when I’m feeding him and then is off again.  I have a place in the country in Texas and yearn for the day I can sleep late, go fly-fishing, read a good book and enjoy a fire, a few beverages and good friends.