I don't want to bore you with a bio, but I do think a few mile markers might help.

I grew up in the Bible Belt on 10-cent lunches and government cheese.

I know what it is to feel like an unwanted burden.

I know what it is to dream of getting out.

And I've learned that some dreams do come true, even when they arrive looking nothing like we imagined.

I've lost jobs, gone through medical bankruptcy, rebuilt my finances, created an extended family of people I love, buried a husband, recovered from injuries, and kept showing up.

The most important thing I've learned is that I get to choose how I respond to whatever life throws at me.

As you read my confessions, I'm not looking for absolution—only the comfort of discovering that none of us is quite as alone as we think we are.

Grab a cup of coffee—or a glass of wine—and stay awhile. We may discover that being gloriously, awkwardly, and painfully human is something we have in common.