I hope you find this book very real and raw. In it, I do not beat around the bush, tiptoe around the ugly stuff, or try to make something horrific seem not so bad. I do tell it like it is and because the subject of this book is hard to think about, the end of every chapter includes handwritten pages from my heart to yours. Think of these pages as little “pain breaks”—little oases where you can focus on something refreshing and, dare I say, positive. On these pages you’ll find verses, quotes, doodles, and even a little story or two—things that got me through the hard times and kept me from lying in the fetal position, sucking my thumb under the kitchen table. Because, friend, there were times … I know you know.
