Hey, Jay. It's been awhile, so I thought I would visit you today, adding 2503 words (so far), putting your word count just over 10,000. Yes, we have a long way to go, but today, you had your first kiss, found out that someone knows your secret and loves you just the same, and bought a prom dress you have no intention of wearing. Girl, you took me on a rollercoaster of rising action today.

Thanks for letting me tell your story. This one is for Nikki, Jim, Andre, Ari, Melissa, Pete and…

I want to believe in a God that won't give a person more than they can handle, but when babies are born without taking a breath, and teenagers live in homes with parents that spew hate and malice, I can't walk with blind faith.

You promise me that He (She) protects the weak. Turning the pages of the Old Testament, I see a God of fire and brimstone and wonder if that is why so many people are starving, or if the devil's reach is just casting a cloud over the…

(following Gita and Teresa's, etc. lead)

-My Grandma, who died when I was three, had a pink bedroom with a pink rose bedspread that we would sit on as she bounced me on her knee.

-I stole my first kiss from a six-year-old boy two weeks my senior in the backyard behind the bushes.

-McDonalds' drive-thru Happy Meals were the highlights of our rare family vacations during my formative years.

-Before my first brother was born, my mom declared he was kicking her so…

I hate this. Every year, I wonder how we should spend our last hours together, but we continue as normal because it's what we know. Visits are closer together as you grow older, and hopefully, you will soon understand how much our world lights up when you enter it. Some days you are going to hate me because I am not your mom (and well, you are about to be a teenager), but I know you love me as I love you. Palm trees, football, middle school, and your wonderful mom and stepdad await…