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THE ADVENTURES OF KOCO KOALA & FRIENDS
BOOK ONE: CRUISIN' WITH CAMERON

Chosen as Publishers Book of the Week: July 30th - August 5th




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My Published Articles

The world would be a better place without…

prejudice against race, creed, or color. The world would be a better place without hatred, malice spite, and revenge. It would certainly be a better place without guns, rifles, and other weapons, which are freely available to those who will use them to commit crimes against society.

Our world would be a better place without deception, manipulation, abuse of power and control. If there were no greed, envy, or covetousness in the world, our world would be a better place. Remove slander, gossip, backstabbing, and liars from the world, and our world will be a better place.

Eliminate murder, rape, physical and mental abuse and our world will be a better place. Stop all the violence; child abuse, poverty, homelessness, domestic violence, and our world will be a better place. Stamp out AIDS, drugs, alcohol and cigarettes and our world would be a better place.

Our world would be a better place without pollution to our water and air; it would also be a better place without artificial and chemical additives in our foods and beverages.
Delete pornography, lust, and immorality from the world, and it will be a better place. Put an end to free sex, teenage pregnancies, and abortions and our world will be a better place. Wipe out cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure and other killer diseases, and our world will be a healthier better place.

Erase lawlessness, rebellion, bigotry, and persecution, from this world, and than remove cruelty, injustice, and the lack of value for human life, and we will have a world that is a better place. If we could remove all the evil from our world, it would surely be a better place, it would be a better place if we did not have criticism, sarcasm, anger, and revenge and hatred.

Eradicate and destroy terrorism, Al Quida, religious fanaticism, dictatorships, and tyranny and our world will be a better, more peaceful and safer place. Remove all these things, along with all other evil in society and we will have a better world to live in.

There is one thing however, that seems to be fading in our modern society that should not be removed. It is something that has been pushed aside in this world and it is something, that we should not be living without, that something is God! He has been pushed out of society, and has been removed from our schools, and our government and our daily lives. Leaving God out of our society has left us with a sad, hopeless, and corrupt society, that is moving quickly toward destruction. I believe that by removing God from society, we have allowed all the evil things of this world to rule and control the wicked world in which we live.

©2008 Donna Pampalone

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Are negative emotions holding you back?

Negative emotions go much deeper than what is expressed and seen on the outside of us. If one is unhappy, in their life, their surroundings, or in a particular situation, there is most often something that causes negativity to surface into our lives. Unresolved, pain, hurt, and anger, are negative emotions that cause insecurity, depression and unhappiness.

As humans, we often allow our emotions to get the best of us and to rule how we behave. We are often not aware of the deep- rooted feelings we have inside that cause us to be negative or unhappy. When we are hurt for example, we sometimes push our pain deep down inside and try to forget about it; but by doing this, it causes other emotions to take root and to negatively affect our personalities. When we are deeply hurt, for example, and we do not deal with the pain that we experience, we suppress our hurt and that pain is transferred into other unhealthy emotions, such as anger, resentment, and bitterness. The result of this is than seen in our everyday lives, in the way that we think, respond, and speak to others.

Unresolved emotions, over a period of time will cause people to do and say things that they normally would not do or say. One of the greatest emotions to cause an inbalance in ones life is the emotion of unforgiveness. Harboring ill feelings towards others is like a poison, which moves quickly through the body and prevents it from functioning efficiently. Unforgiveness affects every aspect of our lives. When one holds grudges because of unforgiveness, it than creates another harmful emotions to surface, one of which is bitterness.

Bitterness on the other hand leads to other very negative emotions such as spite, anger, and hatred. These emotions unfortunately are some of the unhealthiest emotions. Having unforgiveness, eventually causes a domino affect from one unhealthy emotion to another, therefore leaving a person damaged in their emotions, and leaving them vulnerable to much unhappiness and chaos in their lives. When someone is damaged in their emotions, it will undoubtedly cause them to be held back from many good things they could have attained in their lives.

“What then is necessary, for us to have healthy positive emotions?” One of the first things that is important to do when an issue arises, is not to run from it, but instead, face it head on immediately, with the intent to resolve the it. Do not take on the mindset of one who does not like confrontation, running from confronting the issue is what causes ill feelings and emotions. To resolve problems, we must confront the offender in a mature and reasonable way. We must speak in a way that expresses our pain, and how we are feeling, without accusing, and criticizing them; which can cause them to become defensive, and can prevent resolving the issue. Often times, the offender does not realize that they have offended someone and therefore, they should be made aware of the offense, so that resolution can come. Sharing your feeling with them will most often be received in a positive way, which will help to resolve the issue. In most cases, the other person will be glad that you came to them to share how you are feeling, and they will be happy to talk it out with you, so that it can be resolved. Talking about the issue with them will prevent suppressing negative feelings, and will therefore avoid those negative feeling from becoming deep- rooted emotional problems. Once the situation is resolved, a person can move forward in freedom, with a feeling of contentment, in knowing that they did the right thing, for their own emotional health and for the health of others involved.

Emotions are positive or negative, healthy, or unhealthy, we have the choice as to decide how we will handle them. We must be willing not to hold back or deny how we truly feel. It is very important to recognize and acknowledge what we are feeling. When we accomplish that, we will be able to work through issues in our lives in a healthy, stable, manner, and our lives will be richer, fuller, and happier because of it.

©2008 Donna Pampalone

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How would you describe colors to the blind?

I would begin my description of colors to the blind from the inside out. I would start at the very heart of us, our heart. We see things differently when looking at things with our heart than we do with our eyes so I feel it is important to start there. Red is the first color, which I would describe to someone. Red is the abundant, unconditional love our hearts hold, red is the color of our blood which is our life source and travels through our entire body back to the heart. Crimson Red is the blood that was shed for all of mankind. Red is deep, it is intense, it is bold, it is Love.

Once again, I look inward to describe the color Black. Black is the color that best describes all the sadness and pain we have ever felt in inside, it is the deepest, darkest pain that we have experienced in our lives. The color Black is the loss of a loved one, and it is also the color of fear. Black is the night sky without the moon and the stars.

To describe the color Green, I would express that Green is like a fragrance, a sent of peppermint or wintergreen. It is fresh, crisp, and clean. It is the deep sense of peace inside of you. Green is cool and refreshing, it can be felt by walking barefoot through the cool grass on a warm summer day.

Yellow a bright color filled with light, a lively color, a feeling of happiness, a smiley color, a color that warms you inside and out, like the rays of the sun as it shines down upon you. Yellow is the fresh smell of lemon. Yellow is the taste of Lemon Poppy seed cake!

Ahh, the color Blue, it is when you cry and don’t know why your crying. It is the feeling of floating, like the clouds in the sky. Blue is a feeling of comfort; it has a secure feeling to it. Blue is often for boys. The color Blue is the beautiful sky, it is the ocean, and it is a sense of security.

Brown, oohh, the color Brown is based more on taste than any other sense. It’s best description would be rich dark chocolate, with its smooth creamy texture that melts in your mouth. The rich taste represents the richness of the soil from which we live. It is a rich color filled with flavor. Brown is the color leaves turn as winter approaches.

©2007 Donna Pampalone

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Can vaccines cause autism?

Autism, a complicated, not well-understood, debilitation that afflicts 1 in every 150 children, is more commonly found in males, than in females. Children, who live in an autistic world, are unfortunately often unable to be a part of our world. They are somehow locked up inside of themselves, with no way out. Autism is reflected in different ways, and to different degrees. Speech and communication are two major areas that are greatly affected by autism in children.

Autism was little known until it started to appear in children in the early 1990’s, at a rate of approximately 1 in every 2000 children. Midway through the 1990’s the statistics began to rise with a sharp increase in the incidences of autism in children. The rate, at which it appeared less than a decade later, was approximately 1 in every 700 children. Today, in the year 2008 we are seeing autism in children at an alarmingly high rate of 1 in every 150 children. The incidence of autism has reached a point, that it is much too high, the statistics, are frightening.

In the early 1990’s, there was a change in how our immunizations were administered to children. Before the 1990’s, the immunizations for measles, mumps, and rubella, were administered separately, and at different times of the child’s life. In the early 90’s however, the change came when all three immunizations were combined together with preservatives, to prevent one immunization from affecting the other, in the mix. This new combination was than administered to children in one shot instead of three and it is still being administered in that way today. Could this be a factor in the staggering number of children affected by autism?

This information raise many questions such as, what effect does mixing three very powerful immunizations together into one shot, have on small children? How does it affect, their brain, their organs, and other parts of their small bodies? Why is it that parents and doctors alike, observed no autistic signs in children before they were immunized? Why is it that only after immunization did children exhibit signs of autism? These are very important questions that need to be answered soon. Is there a connection between immunizations and autism? It appears that there are several very strong implications that there may be a connection. In a logical deduction of the facts that we have, it is my personal opinion, that there is very strong evidence that there may be a link between autism and immunizations.

Immediate, and in depth research needs to be done to determine if there is a connection between the two, and if there is, something needs to be done quickly, to save our children, the future generation of this world, from becoming victims of autism.

©2007 Donna Pampalone

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What would I do with a million pounds?
I found this to be a most interesting question, because it immediately led me to another question. That question being, “What would I do with a million pounds of what?” Many things ran through my mind as to the what, many of the things I thought of in terms of a million pounds were things I would not want to have a million pounds of. I thought of things like, mud, bricks, trash, mothballs, and the list goes on, but there were a few things that made me stop and think, and they were things I thought that I would not mind having a million pounds of.

The first thing I thought of was that I would like to have a million pounds of chocolate. Yes, rich, dark, creamy, chocolate, mmm, my favorite! Next, I considered the question we began with, “What I would do with a million pounds of chocolate”; surely, I would give it to all the women in the world who love chocolate the way that I do, and then I would give the rest to our male counterparts who are also known as choc-aholics. I do not want to settle for just talking about chocolate, although it is a delicious subject to discuss, the question being asked is too good to dedicate solely to one thing, even if it is my favorite.

Let us take butter for example, “What would I do with a million pounds of it. I think the first thing I would do is panic, and then I would contain myself and as quickly as I could, I would join a culinary school for baking pastries. Yes, sir, I would have to learn how to get rid of all that rich butter in the most delicacy kind of way. Than I would distribute the butter to anyone else who needed it. Folks, that sure is a lot of butter; just think of all the arteries it would end up in, wow, the thought is almost frightening to me, but it would most assuredly cause panic to heart specialists everywhere.

Looking at in a lighter perspective, and from my softer side, lets examine feathers. When you think of a million pounds being in the form of feathers, and then, you break it down to how many feathers it would take to make them weigh a million pounds, it is amazing what amount it would take, it would probably be a trillion-something. Now, what would I do with all those trillion-something feathers, I would make sure that everyone who is not allergic to them, had their very own soft, puffy, cushiony, pillow to snuggle up with. Enough about that, let's move on to a subject that is worth its weight in GOLD…

Hmmm, what would I do with a million pounds of it? Phew, this is a weighty topic, because the more it weighs, the more its worth, and the wiser it is used, the better it becomes. I would want to be very careful with what I did with a million pounds of gold, that’s for sure. In addition, I certainly would not make light of it, like I did with feathers. I would be blessed to help those who do not have, and to help those who do have, but who struggle to hold on to what they have. After accomplishing that, I would get a new car; I do not really have a preference on what kind, just so long as it has that great new car smell and than, I can throw away the goofy, dangly air fresheners I hang in my car now.

If it were possible to weigh wisdom, than I would choose to have a million pounds of it. For with wisdom comes the answers to many of life’s questions, and having wisdom, would certainly make life much more fulfilling, definitely much easier, and less painful. With a million pounds of wisdom, I would have avoided many mistakes I have made in my lifetime. Having a million pounds of it, I would have had the wisdom needed to know, and therefore I would have done things differently, which ultimately would have eliminated many mistakes I have made. If I have wisdom, I would have fewer regrets, and I would make wiser decisions, that would positively affect my life; therefore making my life fuller and richer, in ways that a million pounds of valuable gold, a million pound of soft feathers, a million pounds of delicious butter, or a million pound of absolutely fabulous chocolate, could ever make. I’ll take a million pounds of wisdom over them all!

©2008 Donna Pampalone

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Should the public trust what it hears on the Oprah Winfrey Show?

No, it is not wise for the public to put their trust in what they hear on the Oprah Winfrey Show, or any other television talk show for that matter.

It is very important, that people should have a mind of their own, and not allow the rest of the world alter their thinking, or to think for them. People should not be so easily influenced by others, whether they are prominent people like Oprah, or not. For to do so; is foolishness, as it stifles one’s individuality, creativity, and intelligence.

In all of life’s situations, we need to be accountable for the decisions we make, and we need to be the one making them. We should not want to mimic, or adopt the world’s view, in making those decisions. One of my favorite sayings is “a mind is a terrible thing to waste”, to take on the views of a talk show host, or anyone else for that matter, clearly shows that a mind is being wasted. To do so, is to take on the personality of the world, and not develop the personality that is within. It is often much easier to go with the crowd and absorb their perspectives and thoughts, but it is much, more important to educate oneself and to form one’s own ideas and opinions which, reflect who they are inside.

Instead of using her position of power and prestige as a platform for herself, and for those she feels are worthy, she might instead, convey that which was discussed above to the multitudes of people that she has the ability to reach.

It is quite obvious that Oprah did not become the successful woman she is today by depending on the thoughts and opinions of others. Oprah Winfrey is clearly an excellent example, of a woman who knows her mind and makes her own decisions. Because she so self assured and successful, her influence on those who are not as self assured as she is very strong. Clearly, she has the confidence within herself, to do her own thinking, to be her own person and to achieve great success the great success she has had.

We can’t all achieve what Oprah Winfrey has in the world, but we can all be our own person, know and trust ourselves, have confidence in our thinking and decision making, and we to can achieve ultimate success in our lives.

©2008 Donna Pampalone
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Does America need Revival?

Yes, the United States is definitely due for a revival, as a matter of fact; we are long overdue for it. Our world is in sad shape, what used to be right is now wrong, and what used be wrong is not wrong, anymore.

America has lost her moral and biblical standards, those values, being the core fiber that this country was founded upon. It is sad to say that the United States of America has been corrupted in so many ways, that our foundation has swiftly shifted from its strong base of Christian values, to nothing less than the shaky ground America seems to be standing on today.

Nothing but Jesus can help this poor sorry land in which we live. Nothing but His grace and His mercy can heal our broken land. Only by his love and faithfulness does he continue to protect a country of people that have put him aside.

God can heal a nation, if that nation cries out to Him. He can heal this nation if the people of the United States of America, look to Him and repent from sin. He is a God of forgiveness, who wants good things for his people. He will never force our will, or push Himself upon us. He longs and waits for us to cry out to Him and He is waiting for America.

America needs revival now, before any more time is wasted. Wake up America, you and the rest of the world are in desperate need of Jesus Christ, and revival, because our world is filled with:

Total immorality, the homeless, aids and drugs,
The breakdown in the family, a lack of kiss and hugs.

Children having children, pregnancies on the rise,
Abortions killing babies, Pro choice ignores their cries.

Helpless little blessings, their existence some deny,
All these precious children are conceived only to die.

God is gone from government, from schools and from the home,
The outcome of this travesty is Satan is free to roam.

He roams around this great big world,
With destruction, death and lies,
he chooses all his victims and enjoys their pain, their cries.

He binds them in, their fleshly lusts,
Fills them with fear, destroys their trust.

He is darkness, the enemy of our soul,
He dwells in misery, in the pits of Sheol.

One day Jesus will return, and He will destroy the beast,
The Lord will reign a thousand years, and we will live in peace...

©2008 Donna Pampalone
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My Poetry

By the Sea

I took a walk along the shore,
And looked out toward the sea.
My mind could only think one thought,
It was of you and me.

I thought of all the happy times,
That we had shared before,
And then I had to face the facts,
That we aren’t anymore.

I gazed out at the water,
So blue and crystal clear,
The gentle movement of the waves,
Was all that I could hear.

And soon, the sun began to set,
Upon the sea so blue,
And that is when I realized,
I’m nothing without you.

My tears they started falling,
They landed in the sea,
My future bleak and empty,
If there’s no you and me.

©1987 Donna Pampalone
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My God

Omnipotent Father creator above,
We look for your guidance,
We seek your sweet love.

You died for all sinners,
to save them from death.
Asked God to forgive them,
With your final breath.

You gave us salvation and eternal life,
You comfort and help us when
We’re faced with strife.

I’m thankful and grateful,
For your saving grace,
And I long for the day,
That I look on your face.

©2005 Donna Pampalone


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Single Mom

The noise, the screams, the giggles and yells,
The doorbell, the phone, and, the timer bell.

The lawyer, the system, the bills, and the stress,
Money is tight and I need a new dress.

Housework and yard work the car needs repair,
There’s laundry and dishes and no time to spare.

Ex-husband and teachers, the kids and my home,
How can I continue this all on my own?

The pressure and worry so much on my mind,
I can’t sleep at night, I can’t seem to unwind.

I must keep on going, I cannot give up,
No matter how tightly I’m stuck in this rut.

There seems to be sunshine outside of my door,
But inside my life it does nothing but pour.

Each day that I wake up I pray for the best,
But day after day my life still is a mess.

©1988 Donna Pampalone

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"BE SWEPT AWAY"

IF THE LORD RETURNED TODAY,
WOULD YOU BE READY TO BE
SWEPT AWAY?

TO RISE UP TO THE HEAVENS ABOVE,
TO AN ETERNAL KINGDOM MADE OF LOVE.

A PLACE WHERE THERE ARE STREETS
OF GOLD,
NO GREATER BEAUTY TO BEHOLD.

WHERE CHERUBUM AND ANGELS SING,
CONTINUOUS PRAISE’S TO THE KING.

NO TEARS OR PAIN OR SORROW THERE,
JUST PEACE, AND JOY BEYOND COMPARE.

SO OPEN UP YOUR HEART TO HIM,
ASK HIS FORGIVENESS FOR YOUR SINS,

REPENT FROM SIN THIS VERY DAY.
WHEN JESUS COMES, BE SWEPT AWAY


BE SWEPT AWAY BY JESUS
BE TAKEN BY HIS LOVE
IT WAS GIVEN UNTO US,
BY HIS, PRECIOUS BLOOD.

© 2004 Donna Pampalone


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A Short Story

Joy!

Joy finished packing the last of her things, she zipped her duffle bag closed and paused for a moment. "Lets see," she said to herself. "Do I have everything that will I need?" She thought carefully for a moment and than said out loud, "Oh no, how can I forget to pack something that is such an important part of me, something that is so special to me?" She walked over to her nightstand, opened the drawer, reached into it, and removed something that was wrapped in a purple, velvet cloth. As soon as she had it in her hands she said, " How could I forget you, my sweet little bundle, you go where I go, you are a part of me." She than clutched the bundle to her heart and than gave it a kiss.

She quickly walked back to where her duffle bag lay on her bed, unzipped it, and put the purple, velvet bundle deep into the bag saying "You will go where I go, you will be safe and sound tucked deep within my bag, I can go nowhere without you." She looked around her room, checking carefully not to forget anything else. She paused for a moment, and after going over in her mind, all that she would need, she was sure that she had gathered everything she needed for her journey. She gave a big sigh and said, "I think that should do it! Now, I will have everything." She zipped the bag closed, and set it on the floor close to her bed. She had always kept her little bundle near by in her nightstand when she slept, and she had the comfort to know that it was close at hand now in her bag on the floor.

Everything was ready, tomorrow she would be leaving, and she would be on her way to pursue finding her hopes, dreams, and happiness. She was always in search of them, always feeling like she could not find them, yet she was desperate to do so. She was determined, and had decided that she would go to the ends of the earth just to find them; to grasp them and have them be accomplished. She was convinced that giving up all that she had ever known in her life would be changed if she took this journey into the unknown. She thought this journey that she had planned, would lead her to find that which she so earnestly sought after. What she did not know however; was that she did not have the faith to believe in her hopes, and dreams, and therefore, happiness, was not evident to her.

Joy straightened up her room, she wanted to leave it in a tidy fashion, she would not leave a mess, after all, her life was a mess, and that was why she was taking this journey. She wanted to leave behind all her problems and the difficult challenges that they brought into her somewhat, miserable life. She was blind to the fact that she refused to acknowledge issues that she needed to deal with. They were difficult issues, which seemed impossible to her, and it seemed to her that running from them was the only answer to accomplishing her hopes, and dreams.

She showered and got ready for bed, all the while anxiously anticipating the coming of tomorrow morning when she would leave this place and all her troubles behind. She snuggled up in her bed, closed her eyes, and said, " Tomorrow I will be free from all these troubles in my life." and than, she dozed off.

She fell asleep quickly, exhausted from the busy day that she had. As she fell deeper into slumber, she had a dream. Someone was speaking to her she did not recognize the voice, as it was a soft-spoken, gentle, voice.

"Joy all of your life, you have been on a quest to find your hopes and dreams in order to find true happiness. You are planning to leave behind, all that you know in search of them, and you are running from the unlovely things in your life to try to find them. Do you not know, that you are chasing after something that you can only capture by looking deep inside yourself? Do you not know that the challenges that face you here are not impossible, and that they are placed in your life so that you can conquer them, and when you do conquer them it will change your life? If you run from them, they will follow you wherever you go, and you will miss out on your opportunity to find them."

"The answers are not contained in the little purple bundle, which you hold so dear; but they are locked up deep within in your heart where you cannot see them. Your hopes, dreams, and happiness are the desires of your heart, they cannot be found contained in a piece of cloth, in people, or in the vastness of this world. You have wrapped them up and have bound them tightly in a prison where they cannot escape. Those things contained inside of the bundle are fear, pain, anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, and sorrow. Because they are held so tightly, you do not have the vision to see them for what they are, and therefore they are a hindrance to achieving what you are after. There they will remain there, until you believe and know them, and only than will they be released. Once you have acknowledged them, and take on the challenges that come with them, they will be free from you, and you will be free to find your hope, dreams, and happiness from within your heart."

"You need faith to believe that these treasures of your hope and dreams are there, deep within you. When you release the contents in the bundle, you will see them surface from your heart immediately, and then you will be able to live them out and accomplish them. Joy, when you release all the things in the purple bundle, you will find your hopes, dreams, and happiness flowing freely from your heart where they will no longer be trapped beneath the things you carry in the little bundle, and than, you will know the true meaning of your name."

Joy woke up feeling a sense of peace and calmness that she had never known before. She understood everything that the voice in the dream said to her. She spoke out loud, "I have the faith to believe that there is hope and that I can accomplish my dreams, and so I will release those things which I have held imprisoned in the purple little bundle." As she said it, she reached down for her bag, opened it, and pulled the little purple bundle out.

She held it in her palm and said, " I release the things contained in this bag, and they are no longer imprisoned inside, they are now free, and I too, am now free." She pulled on the tattered white ribbon that held the bundle securely together, and as the ribbon fell away, the bundle was opened and Joy saw that there was nothing inside. She stared with amazement at the empty piece of cloth that she held in her hands, it was true, those things which were contained inside of it were now gone, they were longer there, the little bundle was nothing more than a piece of cloth.

At that moment, she knew that the unhappiness in her life and the challenges she faced by staying and not by running off, were not impossible. She believed that she could face those challenges head on, and that she would most definitely conquer them. No, she would not run away this time, like she had always done in the past; she would stay right here and face each new challenge as it came. She would not pass up the opportunity to capture all of her hopes, dreams, and happiness, which, she had been in such desperate pursuit of.

Joy was sure that this was indeed the way to accomplish all of her hopes, and dreams and she knew that happiness would follow. Than, in a twinkling of a moment, she felt them burst forth from within, finally free, they came to the surface, from the depths of her heart, where they had been held captive for such a long time, and now she was free, and she had hope, and she knew the true meaning of her name, Joy.

©2007 Donna Pampalone