The internal battle within myself is so loud. Frustration is the loudest voice of them all. He stands toe to toe with his Arch nemesis Faith. Faith stands back, with his large arms folded, watching Frustration, give this argument all he has. His face is red with fury. The veins in his forehead are protruding with every word he yells at Faith. The closer Frustration gets to Faith, the taller Faith stands. His feet have not moved from his place on the concrete floor. Failure a small, frail being in the corner sits there watching the whole interaction waiting on his turn to enter and appease the whole situation. He chews away at his nails, and spits the skin from his mouth, anxiously waiting his time to step in and say “Alright already. I'll take it from here.” “Are you listening to anything I'm saying!! Why are you just standing there??” he yells now standing nose to nose with Faith. His chest is heaving up and down, with his t-shirt heavy against his body soaked with the sweat of aggravation. Faith stands there in his clean red polo and neatly pressed, and creased, blue dress pants. His mouth forms into a crooked smile. “I was just waiting for you to finish.” He replies calmly. Failure changes his position in the wooden chair in the corner. “Wait what?” he says to himself as he darts his head from side to side. “I've been waiting for this moment! Hit him, Frustration!” He begins his own battle. Faith takes his hand and nudges him as if to say step aside. He moves a few steps and then pivots back to face Failure. “Can I ask you a question?” Frustration folds his arms, pivots to face Faith and relaxes his posture. “I believe the correct way of saying that is ‘May I ask you'. Of course you ‘Can' ask a question.” Faith snaps his fingers and points in his direction. “I'm glad you caught that. I see I've taught you well and I also see that I have your attention.” He walks over and grabs a chair and slides it towards Frustration. Frustration looks at the chair then back at Faith then apprehensively takes his seat. Faith pulls up a seat of his own and sits crossing his legs and folding his hands in his lap. “Now that we are both ready to talk in a civilized tone, we can talk civilized business. What is your frustration, frustration?” Frustration scoffs and rolls his eyes. “I am tired. So very sick, and so very tired, of being the only one doing all the work around here. Every time I turn around, I'm getting up early, being awakened from my sleep… to work!!” Faith rubbed his hands together and leaned forward. “So you're quitting?” “I'm not quitting! I'm just saying! You get to sit and watch me go from corner to corner in here, busting my back, while you sit in the corner twiddling your thumbs, smiling at me with that bright grin.I can't stand it!” He folded his arms, leaned back in his chair and pouted. Faith laughed. “You don't seen to have a problem with your little cohort Failure over there making a meal out of his nails watching you.” They both looked over at Failure who was rubbing his thing hands over his vanishing thighs. “I'd really like for him to get up and do something. I need a vacation.” Faith sighed. “Well, if you would like me too. I can stand up and work, but on one condition.” He said putting up his finger. “I knew this was coming.” He said glancing up at the ceiling. “You..” Faith pointed at him, and then moved his finger towards failure, “And him have to go, and never comeback.” Failure sat up with his eyes darting from left to right. “Wait a minute! I didn't say that I wanted to leave. I want you to leave, so I can do what little I need to do.” He turned to Failure, “And he can do his job. You're just here for nothing.” Faith's lip twisted up into a smile. “Oh that's what you think?” “That's what I think.” Frustration retorted. “Well, I have a little news for you.” He stood up and began to walk around Frustration. “I've been taking it really easy on you.” Frustration tilted his head back. “You have have you?” he asked smiling a cocky smile. “Oh yes. You see, all of us. Even I, answer to a Higher Authority when it comes to our job titles. I don't wear this Red Polo for nothing.” He stopped and stood confidently. “Oh yeah so that's supposed to mean something?” Frustration asked. “Who's this higher authority?” Faith smiled. “Oh don't act like you don't know. His name is Jesus.” Failure's knees began to buckle, and Frustration shifted his weight uncomfortably. He pulled out his collar and began to sweat. “You're right.I uh, I did.” “So I'll tell you again. I'll step up but in Jesus name, you have to go.” Frustration stood and so did Failure and they slink away out of the room, heads hung low, and defeated as it was always meant to be. Faith stood in the center of the room. “Alright Jesus. I have done what you asked.”

This aspiring novelist, writing enthusiast and food blogger was born on July 16, 1968, in Flint Michigan. Her musical talents began at a very young age. She began singing in church at the age of 7 and had the violin mastered by the age of twelve. Then, before she knew it, she was whisked away with her family, to sunny Florida to live. She was a middle child who grew up and spent her teenage years on the boardwalk of Daytona Beach. She attended a private Christian academy where she was active in cheerleading, dancing, journalism, and swimming. After high school, she decided her horizons needed broadening. She attended college in Michigan and obtained her degree with a major in Business. Then she got a job and wore black pumps to work every day. She had lunch with the girls, drank coffee every day, wore suits to work, and treated herself to manicures on a monthly basis. She became a top seller in lead sales in her division and overall ranked #13 in the United States as the top seller in her field. She was given a bonus, a promotion, and a lovely spa package. She was managing to raise four children as a full- time mom. Her children were all teenagers by this time. She was working many hours overtime, parent-teacher meetings, homework, school plays, science projects, and after-school activities. She was that one woman trying to achieve it all and trying not to allow her kids to feel left behind. One morning, she woke up for work and found her thirteen-year-old son half dead, slumped over on the living-room sofa. She had him rushed to the emergency room. It turned out that he happened to be sick and needed hospitalization for several months. He would need after-care treatment once he returned home. After very little thought about her decision, while her son was in intensive care, she went to her work and turned in her keys and resigned. She felt deep in her heart that her son needed her. She belonged at home with her son. Financially they were fine. She had her savings, 401K, and bonuses she managed to save. Her son remained her only concern. A year passes by, and her son became strong and healthy. They all started going to their local church not far from their home. She became a Sunday School teacher. She also started singing in the adult choir and played her violin. She began teaching at a girl's club in the church and she also taught at the Christian camp every summer. She was scheduled to sing a solo one night. She waited to be called up to the stage. Once announced to the stage, she briefly told her testimony. She glanced around the room and noticed people whispered to one another. They pointed at her. It made her feel awkward, but she continued with her song. They graciously applauded and she took her seat. After she had taken her seat, she felt someone rub her shoulder, and she turned around. Nobody was there. Then, something caught the corner of her eye. Laying draped across her shoulder. She gasped. Her hairpiece that was attached to her ponytail had fallen off. It had fallen across her shoulder. Her face started to turn beet red, and she started to sink down into her seat. She could see the people that sat around her with their pitiful smiles, It made her feel more embarrassed. She had to find her escape route immediately. She excused herself. She took her children and herself at home. She didn't return back to church for a couple weeks. Unexpectedly, she met and fell in love with a southern gentleman. He lived in Alabama. Now she lives in the country in Northern Michigan. Her days are spent working in the garden, planting flowers, cleaning the dirt out from under her fingernails and making gravy. They have a home that they purchased and are fixing up. They are renting out the guest house and are in the process of painting and redecorating. It is a chore but the process has been refreshing. It took a while for her to adjust to being without her children. It was the five of them for so long. She went through empty nest syndrome. She even cried and went through depression for a short time. However, she found writing as a way to escape. She would journal and also write in her food blog. She would also find refuge in her garden. I'm sure if her adolescent self could see her now she would cringe at how she traded in her idea of becoming an unmarried, without children, fashion designer in Paris, to a Business degree achiever, writing her first novel, completing an E-Book called “Comfort Foods for the Soul,” and falling in love with a better life. A life full of possibilities, a life much better for her.