Over the last year, as I’ve been crafting (and re-crafting) The Penny Book (as I am currently calling it), I’ve had the opportunity to travel.

Yes, I was young and impressionable when taking in lessons from my parents and early life. Viewing Penny's life through the lens of adulthood, with the perks of perspective and a greater sense of control, allows me to see more of the good.

As I lay there, listening to its groans, a sense of peace washes over me, even as my guts churn and tangle, knotting themselves into a gnarl. My hollow cavern of abdomen feels good, even if it doesn’t feel right. It feels good to overcome the emptiness, knowing I can’t fill it.