As I experienced various situations and personal encounters during my life, it is my intention to not only reflect upon them but to also hope that my readers experience reflections of their own and, in some ways, relate to my words and feelings. Prior to this publication, various people read selected works and experienced a very emotional feeling, and in several cases, they were moved to tears. While being published is clearly a very high honor, to witness others respond in such an emotional way to my writing is just as fulfilling and is in a very real way a validation of my work and elicits in me, a feeling of immense joy.