My Grandpa Art, God rest his soul, was a proud and sturdy Norwegian—a farmer from the plains of North Dakota. He passed away on this day in 2001. The terrorist attacks took place the following day, so traveling to his funeral was challenging for many. When I think of my grandpa, the word epic comes to mind. His was a life that could easily inspire a Hollywood film. He was a true pioneer, whose youth was filled with adventures I can only imagine. When he was a wee boy of eight, his mother died and his father gave him to another family to raise because the children were too difficult […]

The rate of U.S. adolescents and young adults dying of suicide has reached its highest level in nearly two decades, according to a recent report in the Journal of the American Medical Association. With over 6,200 suicides among people aged 15 to 24, suicide ranked as the second-leading cause of death for people in that age group in 2017. Most experts agree that the brain isn’t fully developed until the age of twenty-five, so impulse control and emotions can be difficult to manage before then. I remember being a teenager when problems seemed insurmountable. The sun comes out again dear ones… please hang in there until you can feel it […]

When I left the corporate world after a twenty-year career in sales and marketing, my dad asked me what was next on the horizon. I told him I was going to step out of the rat race and pursue my lifelong dream of writing. He was always optimistic and supportive, but I know deep inside he thought this was a very bad idea. I’d always made good money and to start a new career at my age was risky. More importantly, he worried the failure that comes with artistic endeavors such as writing would kill my sensitive spirit. But I did it anyway. I’ve had some wonderful successes and many […]

The older I get, the more grateful I am that true beauty is within us. I have wrinkles around my eyes, my skin has lost some firmness, and brown spots dot my once porcelain complexion, but I know my true essence is in my soul.