“The great marriages are partnerships. It can’t be a great marriage without being a partnership.” —Helen Mirren I can count on one hand the number of times I've been away from my wife both day and night. Recently, that count has grown a little bigger. The first time we spent time apart was for three... Continue Reading →
"At the end of the day, the most overwhelming key to a child's success is positive involvement of parents." —Jane D. Hull When I walked through the door at 10 p.m. last night, I was not ready for the shocking news my 13-year-old son was about to lay on me. I had just sat down... Continue Reading →
"That's the magic of revisions—every cut is necessary, and every cut hurts, but something new always grows." Kelly Barnhill I finished writing my first book-length manuscript this year. From start to finish, I've worked on this project for nearly two years. That includes the planning, outlining, researching, procrastinating, building the necessary skills to sit down... Continue Reading →
"All men can see the tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved."—Sun Tzu As I sit at my desk I can't help but think back 365 days ago and see a very different person. For years I've tried to set and maintain my New... Continue Reading →
"We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive... Continue Reading →
"This is what marriage really means: helping one another to reach the full status of being persons, responsible beings who do not run away from life." —Paul Tournier Twenty years ago a girl walked into my life and changed it forever. She's also forever changed October for me, deciding that we should get married in... Continue Reading →
"You only get one chance to serve a mission; it is your responsibility, your duty, to use it to its fullest; to give every last ounce of energy until you collapse in exhaustion at the end of it. All the hardships, all the tears, all the hard work will be looked back upon as the... Continue Reading →
"Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened."—Dr. Seuss One of the best endings in cinematic history comes from The Wizard of Oz. After defeating the Wicked Witch of the West and missing her ride in the Wizard's hot air balloon, it is revealed to Dorthy that she's always had the power to return... Continue Reading →
"A generation which ignores history has no past—and no future."—Robert A. Heinlein My memory, like many I suppose, is a finicky thing. There are days where I struggle to remember the correct date or remember a person's name. And then there are other days where I can recall staying the night at my third grade... Continue Reading →
"I constantly go between wanting you to stay my little baby forever, and being excited about all of the amazing things you'll do in this life."—Anonymous When the alarm clock finally stirs me from sleep, the light from the hallway greets me. It is 6:15 a.m. and it appears I am already late. I stumble-shuffle... Continue Reading →
A.C. Crider 