It has been a pleasure to work with veterans for over 20 years as a counselor and have written diagnostic letters for veterans dealing with PTSD. In my private practice I worked with survivors of combat trauma and other violence-related situations. Living with PTSD personally, my desire is to help others understand their own challenges. When life threw me its own curve, I faced situations where I no longer had the answers and the teacher was forced to be the student. It is interesting how simple and practical the best lessons of life can be. As those hard lessons of life began stripping away some of the fluff, gunk, and ivory towers that I had allowed to become a part of my life, I remembered just how influential my dad was in the simple things he used to say. I am reminded how those golden nuggets we gather from life are usually from the most ‘down to earth’ childhood lessons. I hope you enjoy my writing.