It was August 2010. Dad had endured a rough four months of treatment for his cancer, but this was a good month. He had gotten some of his strength back. He was the Pop that everyone knew and loved. August was special because he had the ability to do two things that he loved most: build a wheelchair ramp for someone in need with his best friend, Marshall, and go fishing with me. We arrived at one of our favorite fishing holes, grabbed our equipment, and headed for the boat that was always there w...

For me, words like purple-hulled peas take me back to my grandmother, wearing a dress and apron, cooking in the kitchen. I cannot hear the word train without thinking about the long Saturday walks that my grandfather and I took up and down backcountry stretches of railroad. When I hear the word fishing, I recall the days my dad and I spent in a boat together. But other words can create worlds full of hurt, fear, and pain. What do we do with those? Many of us hide those words and the stories they...

There were once three frogs living on a beautiful lake. It was full of majestic cypress trees, lily pads, and the most amazing view of the sunset; well, if you lived on the other shore. One evening, the three frogs sat together, lamenting over how they longed to get a better view of the setting sun. They all decided that life would be better if they lived on the other side of the lake, so they all promised they would develop a plan to make that happen. The first frog could not contain his excite...

In Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll stated, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.” I think that quote is valid for a lot of people today, a lot more people than would like to admit it. Many people wish they could go where they see everyone else going, and many more struggle with listening to everyone around them telling them where they should go. Most people genuinely know where they want to go but struggle with fear, doubt, and the nagging belief that they don’...