How many times have you stood at the threshold of a new door, contemplating what you would find on the other side? How many times has fear stopped you from proceeding?

If you never cross through, you will be left wondering "what if" for the rest of your life. Take the chance, what have you got to lose?

When my children were babies, I would spend hours by their crib, watching them in their slumber, adoring everything about them. I was so attuned to them, I could hear them breathe from the next room.

As they grew, I lost that magic, or so I thought. After a recent separation from them, I was delighted to find myself under their spell once again, captivated by the awe and wonder that is them.

I was in a seminar recently with troubled teenagers. I saw them share their hurts and frustrations. I saw a girl break down and cry, standing alone as she was accustomed to doing. And then a miracle happened. First one girl got up to hug her. And she held on. Holding her until she broke. And then they all got up and joined in. The one in the middle had her eyes closed the whole time, crying, letting out the pain she's been saving for years. When the music stopped, she opened her eyes and was surprised to find herself in the middle of a group hug. Tears streamed down my face as I watched these tough kids give Andrea all the love and support she needed. These are the thoughts that came into my mind.

This poem was a Christmas gift for one of my students. He's going through some rather difficult times and I wanted to let him know that he would never have to go through them alone.

I wrote this poem as an apology to my best friend. We'd been friends for half our lives, 12 years. Things happened that never should have and now we're no longer friends. I miss her. I hope this poem touches someone, because it didn't touch her.

We all have our own ideas on what love is and the difference between being IN LOVE and LOVING someone. This is my definition of what it means to fall in love. Maybe this will make it easier to understand why some people are afraid to fall.

My life is ruled by passion. It is my driving force. Sometimes the intensity of it scares me. Sometimes it scares others. But underneath the fiery exterior lies a warm, gentle yearning to be free, to be accepted, to be loved.

I have done the unthinkable. I have fallen for a man who's already taken. He warned me in the beginning that he was unavailable. We were only friends. And then, I fell.

Miles cannot separate me from the man I love. Although face-to-face communication is few and far between, his heart still finds ways to speak to me.

Oddly enough, I was in a bulletin board discussing the whole b/d/s/m topic with some lesbian friends. I found the idea intriguing, unsettling, scary. Then I decided to explore my reasons for those feelings. This is what I came up with. Dominance and submissiveness is about more than just a sexual kink. It's about trusting your partner completely. Have you ever? I know I haven't.