1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Please remember that any separation from you is likely to be painful.

2. Give me the time to understand what you want of me.

3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.

4. Don't be angry with me for long and don't lock me up as punishment. You have work, your friends, your entertainments...but I have only you.

5. Talk to me. Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand the...

A little girl crossed a bridge over a clear pond and then stopped. Unsure of where she was or what lay ahead, she turned around to look back from where she had come. Behind her, puppies were playing, chasing each other and wrestling in the warm sunshine. It looked like so much fun, but in front of her, through the clear stillness of the pond water, she could see her mummy and she could see that her Mummy was crying. She pawed at the water, trying to get to her. When that didn't work, she jumped...

Today I sat in a courtroom full of people wanting to be divorced from their spouses. They sat there with their lawyers and witnesses and the whole process seemed rather simple.

The judge saved the people with no attorney for last, and that included me and another person.

One side of the circle met the other today. I married this man in 1995 as a young person and we were engaged 4 years prior to that. We have been separated for 5 years and it was time for us to...

"I told you to shut the **** up!" Crack! Right across the forehead, leaving a small, but painful gash which bruised fairly quick. The little boy sits, shaking from terror and anger. The mother turns and starts talking as if nothing had been done. I turned and looked at the child, who had tears in his eyes and a look of hate, and listened when he said, "take me from my pain".

Before you guys go and say I on here writing stories like it a land of fairytales and...

Part 1 is already over, with yours truly having gotten a temporary filling put in an abscessed tooth. It's also the hard part, so when I go to the endodontist tomorrow morning, I'll know what to expect. The root canal treatment will be over in no time.

When I go in for the second (and, hopefully, final) appointment, a permanent filling will be put in place to, once and for all, bring restoration to said tooth. I'll admit, I really needed it. Thankfully,...