When the Stories We Tell Ourselves Are True

February in Albuquerque’s North Valley — Photo by Wendy Cohan

In her book of essays, poet Mary Oliver wrote, “…you must not, ever, give anyone else the responsibility for your life.”

It’s a lesson I learned the hard way, after breaking free of a very long, unhappy marriage. I learned it once more, as if to make sure I understood, when my Plan B failed to materialize into the kind of life I desired — and the only solution I could come up with was…