Out On a Limb

Sometimes life seems too hard.

Before I was married, I had images in my head of how my life would be. I would get married, have a few children, and live in a nice house, with flower beds across the front, with a beautiful red maple tree in the front yard. Life would be, well, perfect.

I grew up in a chaotic, dysfunctional home. I knew my life would be different than my parents had been. I believed I was smarter than they were and would make better choices. That turned out not to be true.

I ma...