For the last six years, I have been writing this column. Each time I finished a column, I would feel happy that I was able to add another page to my living, public diary. And when I would complete another hundred columns and be able to add another book to my collection - I was elated. But as happy as I was when I was writing, there were a few times that I went without writing. Sometimes, my writing would cease for only a few weeks - and sometimes - I didn't write columns for months. It was my most recent hiatus from writing that really hurt me the most.

From January to August of this year - my life was in turmoil. Among everything else that the turmoil effected - it effected my writing as well. Despite all of the things I could have written about that happened to me in that time - I did not type a single word into my computer. Truth be told, there were times that I went longer without writing then this time - but this last dry period was the most personal to me.

At the time that my writing ceased in January - the column was finally at the place I have always wanted it to be. It had a pretty good following, the writing was very frequent - and I was even getting fan mail about my columns. And then when everything "hit the fan" - I let life get the best of me and the column fell by the waste side. During that very dark period, there were times that I did try to write - but could not get past the first paragraph. No matter what I tried to write about, I could not do it. So as the drama and stress grew - so did the space between my columns.

But thanks to God, my mother, my friends, my fans - and Mary - I began to write again on August 20th. When I wrote the first column, I remember a feeling of relief rush through me because I knew that my latest dry period was finally over. And as one column became two, and two became three - I felt like I never stopped writing. In fact, since I started writing, I have written forty columns in sixty-five days - which was pretty much the pace I kept before I stopped writing. The only thing I did decide to change was the number sequence of the columns. The first column I wrote on the 20th should have been #527 - but I decided to start again at number one. I did this because when the drama and those who caused it finally left - I felt like I was reborn - so I thought it appropriate to restart at number one instead of continue at number 527.

The nicest thing to happen since I began to write again has been the many e-mails I received from people that missed my columns. As each new column went up, another e-mail would come in from people who were happy to see me putting pen to paper once again. While I mainly write these columns for myself, I also write them for those who enjoy to read them and who look forward to future columns. To them, I apologize for all of you having to miss my columns while they were gone - and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for warmly welcoming them back. So I am proud to say that despite the dark period I went through at the beginning of this year, I am writing again - and it feels SO GOOD!