Bring On Lemons

Getting it Right This Time? I knew that I had been forgiven the moment I read the prayer with Pastor in his office that day. After several lonely years away from my church and my friends, I would finally be welcomed back with open arms and forgiven. Yes, I had three children with three different fathers, I was divorced, a single mother raising two of my three children, and I had been a young woman who placed her first born for adoption. I had been a mess. Left church because I chose to live a life of sin, and now I was back and begging for forgiveness. It would have been easier to stay away, but doing the right thing was not always the easy thing…or at least that’s what Daddy had told me. Shortly after my confession and absolution, I met an amazing man. We had a fabulous first few weeks. Then I found out that he had been a repeat drunk driver. He would spend our first Christmas and Valentine’s Days on house arrest. He said he would understand if I decided to end things. However...

The Only One “Linda? Hey, are you home? Helooooo?” Phil called to his girlfriend as he set down his empty coffee mug on the island in the kitchen. Hearing no response, he shrugged his shoulders and picked up the newspaper and me, his buddy Whiskers. We settled in on the couch, I was purring gently while Phil tried to take in the day (or forget the day – I was never sure which).  The local news on the television.  Old tabby cat in one hand.  Ipad in the other. Predictable. Simple. Phil quickly fell asleep – just as he did every other evening after a long day at the insurance office. Phil and Linda had been living together for just under six months; they had settled into a routine. I didn’t mind Linda so much. She was much better than the other girls Phil had brought home. Missy was high maintenance and claimed to be allergic to me, Shawnda was some sort of dancer and her high heel shoes quite frankly scared me to death as I was afraid she was going to step ...

With the divorce rate in the United States being 41% for first marriages, 60% for second marriages, and 73% for third marriages - it is important to have support and a plan for healing. Moving on doesn't mean pointing fingers; to truly move on, you need to learn about yourself, set goals, and have a clear laid plan for yourself. Though it is important to ask "what went wrong?" with your marriage, it is more important to look at what went right. What typically happens when you dwell on what went wrong, is finger pointing. Even worse, you can start to feel like a failure because of course, you didn't get married with any plan on getting divorced. Don't be afraid when you have feelings of longing for the other person. In time, you'll realize that you aren't missing the person as much as you are missing what you intended the union to be. You feel like something is missing because you had no intention of going through life single. What went right in your m...

This is a rough draft at a flash fiction piece - comments are appreciated. It needs to be shortened considerably to meet contest requirements. A Suitcase of Bitterness and Sacrifice Her favorite silk panties were in her hand. They sent a chill up her spine. The day she bought them she marched confidently into Victoria Secret with the gift card from her husband. That day she felt like a princess. Today, the panties brought her no delight. She thought about all the sacrifices she had made and every gift he gave her made her bitter. She felt dirty and alone. The lavender panties with lace details were no longer beautiful and soft in her eyes. To Veronica, they were dirty and shameful. Instead of folding them in her suitcase, she tucked them between two pairs of boxers in Charlie’s underwear drawer. “You’ll miss me you son of a bitch” …Veronica muttered… The dress she bought on the cruise they took in celebration of five years of wedded bliss. The dress weighed practically noth...

And this my friends, is my submission to the 2012 Spring Flash Fiction Contest. All characters and the story line are completely fictional - enjoy! (and wish me luck) The Hardest Words to Hear It was another busy day at the office. Portia was off to another meeting in a few moments and as she grabbed her water from her bag she saw the crumpled bills that Klaus had tossed at her the night before. She didn't remember how the fight had begun, but it ended with him throwing the bills in her direction and muttering “go buy some shoes or coffee or something tomorrow”. They both knew that all the money in the world wasn’t going to fix their broken marriage, but Klaus knew that a little retail therapy would go a long way in brightening Portia’s mood.  And after all, they had plenty of money now. Unfortunately, it didn't bring back their baby. Portia got pregnant early in their relationship. It just took that one time on the lake up north. Neither of them could believe it, a...

I AM I am quiet and thoughtful I can be loud and funny I am thoughtful and kind I can speak too quickly I am beautiful inside and out I can be hurt easily I am a daughter and more I can be anything I want I am sexy and curvy I can be too hard on myself I am every woman I can be broken If you love me, you will respect ALL that I am

Are you in a relationship and wondering if you'd be better off alone? Are you alone and wondering if you'd be better off with someone? Isn't it the same story about girls with straight hair getting perms and girls with curly hair buying expensive flat irons? Or is it...??? (I seriously wish I could find a picture of my permed mullet from the 80's to put right here...kid you not, THANKS MOM!) Here's the answer - being comfortable alone is just as important is being in the RIGHT relationship. If you are in a relationship with someone who is not truly your partner is frustrating. If that is where you are at, it's true that you would be better off alone. If you know you are the only one you can count on, you won't be let down. If you have someone who SHOULD be helping you that isn't...you'll be constantly frustrated and feeling let down. What am I talking about? I have some experience in relationships and until recently I would have told you I only h...