Paul

He had been raised by a single Mom, and she had tried to help him get an education, which he had done. He studied long hours and got good grades, and received high marks. This led to his first job, supervising a crew of men. He was honest and direct and the guys liked him and did their jobs well. Paul was promoted and given greater responsibility. His rise in position brought with it a rise in income, and he bought his Mom a televison set. Everything was going great until one day, when a new guy started at the job site. From the start, this guy did not like Paul and spoke poorly of him all the time. Paul tried to talk with the man, but was rebuffed. One day, money was discovered missing, and a search for it led to it being found in Pauls coat pocket. He was disciplined, despite his protestations of innocence, and demoted. The new guy was given Pauls position, and wasted no time in making work miserable for Paul. After a few months, Paul decided to look for another job. Then, one day, more money was missing, and this time it was found in Pauls desk. The new guy was in the process of rebuking Paul in front of everyone when this woman spoke up and said she had seen the new manager put the money in Pauls desk. The room grew quiet as the accused manager picked up his coat and walked out, never to be seen again. Paul was given his old job back, with a nice big raise, and in time became the President of the company.

Mary

Mary had always wanted to be the Princess Bride when she married, but an early pregnancy had crashed that dream. The babies Father was too immature and began to drink too much alcohol and they fought all the time. Mary gave her all to her child, and eventually the Father drifted away, to die 2 years later in a gang brawl, caught in the cross-fire. Mary worked all the time, and had Family and friends to help. She returned to school and got her Nursing degree, and then worked even harder to make life work for her and her Son. She so doted on him that he became an emotional and behavioral bully, and Mary was once again intimidated by a man. Working through this issue, Mary came to see that she had been afraid of her Dad more than she loved him, and with that realization she began to change. Mary's changes brought conflict with her Son, but Mary knew she had to set limits and boundaries with his behavior. They fought, often, and eventually stopped communicating. Her Son moved out and Mary moved on, and although she contacted her Son, he refused to have anything to do with her. Mary cried, alot. In time, Mary had recovered much more of herself, and had come to understand her past and history and family dynamics. That was when her Son called her, and they re-established their relationship, and her Son sought counseling to resolve his issues. Today they both enjoy a healthy relationship, based on true love.

Michael

All he wanted was to have the spotlight swing his way, and he did everything he could to draw attention to himself from an early age. One of his Dad's friends who worked in the Entertainment Industry was impressed and convinced Michael's parents to put him into performance classes, which they did. Michael worked very diligently and learned to sing and dance and act, and assembled the necessary media kit to market himself, and it was successful in that he got a small commercial and then another and then another and then a film and then another and off his career went, like a rocket. Michael became star struck, but the star was him. He became self obsessed and selfish and began to treat Family and friends poorly. Friends began to distance themselves, and Michael distanced himself from his Family. He became a celebrity on the world stage, and was perceived as a wonderful man. But he wasn't as he was manipulative and schemed all the time how best to leverage his power and influence. In front of the public eye he was loved, but those who dealt with him grew to hate him. Michael did not care, he had the world where he wanted it. Until one day when Michael set out in his new very expensive car and was hurling down a small country road on his way to his property when a piece of farm equipment came into view. Michael tried to stop and lost control of the car, which slammed into trees and rolled over many times. Michael was air-lifted to a nearby hospital, where he was stabilized, then transferred to a major hospital near his home. His Family was at his bedside as soon as they were allowed, and there was a tearful reunion. Many hours of conversation and work later Michael had himself and his Family back in wellness and health. His first public appearance was with his Mom and Dad, and the world learned of how love can heal deep wounds.

 Anisha

Growing up, Anisha knew she was different, and when schooling came along she realized what was different about her: she was intelligent. She studied and progressed quickly, and advanced from Kindergarden to First Grade by the 2nd week of school. This advancement continued such that she graduated from school to university when she was 16 years old. Everything was going along smoothly until she met an older student who expressed interest in her. Anisha was overwhelmed by his attentions, and resisted his advances at first, but her feelings over-ruled her thinking and she gave herself to him. Not long thereafter, Anisha began to feel funny and went to the Health Office where it was discovered she was pregnant. When she informed the Father, he laughed in her face and was never seen again. The shame of what was happening was more than Anisha could bear, and she began to contemplate suicide. She read everything she could on the subject and was preparing to do herself in. She needed some supplies for her suicide plan, so when walked to the bus stop and waited. While there, a woman approached with her daughter. Anisha watched them as they played and talked, waiting for the bus. Overcome by her emotions, Anisha sought counsel. When she called her Family, they rallied and supported her, so that she could raise her child and continue her education. She learned not to fall victim to her feelings and to learn to make balanced, reasonable decisions. Today she is an executive at a major International corporation, and her Son is working on his Doctorate at his Mom's alma mater. Anisha's feelings still swamp her from time to time, but she has learned to work with her feelings and make balanced life choices.

Billy

He was born with several severe birth defects, and medicine and science did for him what it could. Born in England, he was given the best care available and by the time he was 3, he was able to breathe and swallow and was starting to learn to walk. He endured all of the ministrations that came his way with an increasingly cheerful attitude, and by the time he was a teen-ager, medicine was making some leaps that could help Billy even further. He volunteered for a  trial program and was selected, and was given drugs that were experimental. To the amazement and delight of all concerned, Billy's body responded very well to the medicine, and Billy became healthier and stronger. His body has suffered polio early on, and although he would forever visibly bear the scars of the surgeries and have sporadic pain, Billy was happy. All throughout his hospitalizations, he had walked the halls when he could, and became well known in his community for his positive attitude and upbeat demeanor. He completed his schooling and entered the work force in his hometown, and soon got a job working in a grocery store. He spent his free time volunteering at hospitals and reading about history. Life passed, and Billy grew older. His parents died, one and then soonafter, the other, and Billy was alone in his house for the first time in his life. He has 53 years old. While on his way to catch a bus one morning, Billy was struck by an automobile that sped off, leaving him bleeding with broken bones in the street. A man walking his dog came upon him and called the Police. An ambulance arrived and took Billy to hospital, where he was recognized by staff. Hours later, post surgery, Billy had no memory of the accident, and much of his memory seemed to be scrambled. He was released later in the week to the care of a Cousin, where he came back to health. A neighbor of his Cousin met Billy one day while he was walking, trying to gain mobility and strength. She and Billy instantly were smitten with each other, and a courtship proceeded. Billy and Ellen married two years to the day that they had met, both of them nearly 60. When asked, years later by a local reporter on the occasion of his 80th birthday, what advice he could give to others, Billy said 'Never give up on love'.

 Susan

She always wanted a bigger life than the one she was given, and started fabricating stories about herself as a child. As she grew older, she made up more and more stories about herself, family, friends, just about any subject at all, really. After so many years of lying about so much of her life, she was delighted when she was approached about joining the Board of Directors for a non-profit in her town. It was while doing some verification of her background that the truth was discovered, that Susan had never been to college and had never received any certificate or document for any of her education, not even a High School diploma. When she was informed by the Chairman that she would not be joining the Board, Susan exploded in rage and attacked the man. He defended himself, and Susan was escorted from the building.  Soon, word got out about what had happened, and all the talk reached Susan's workplace, where she was confronted by the head of Personnel. She told Susan that the resume that she had submitted for her employment had turned out to be full of lies and exaggeration, and that Susan was being terminated. Her life was crashing all around her. A friend suggested that she seek help, which she did. Reconciling her ego and her dreams took some work, but Susan began to accept that the truth of her life, her education, her abilities, and her self esteem were based in fact and accomplishment. She returned to college and in time earned her Degree. Today, Susan is a vital member of a small company that helps former prisoners to enter society.

 Ben

Given up for adoption before he was born, Ben grew up a happy child, loved by his adoptive parents and family. But all the time, inside himself, Ben felt ill at ease. He felt it so early in his memories that it served as the touchstone of his life. Although he was unable to express it verbally, he was able to express it physically, and as he grew older he joined the sports world. He was very good at all manner of sport, and was encouraged quite well. He choose baseball as his focus, and worked and worked to improve his game, playing every chance he could get. His efforts paid off initially by secondary school coaches recognizing his talent and effort, and Ben was introduced to a man who was a scout. One thing led to another, and Ben was offered a scholarship to an excellent university. There, he was very successful, and became a celebrity for his excellent sportsmanship. But no matter how much praise Ben received, this feeling inside him did not loosen its grip. One day Ben got a telephone call, telling him his Mom had been in a terrible car accident. He rushed to her side, and the doctor's told him she would not survive her injuries. Mom and Son spent her remaining days together, as much as they could, and during this time Ben learned that he had been adopted. That feeling inside of him let go all of a sudden, and he felt better for the first time in his life. After her funeral, Ben and his Dad started to look for his birth parents. It took him several years, his adoptive Dad passed away, and he carried on alone. It took a good deal of effort. Along the way, he met a woman who claimed to be his Mom, but Ben trusted his intuition and soon found out she was not his Mom. He kept looking, and eventually located her. He wrote her a letter, introducing himself, and waited. His telephone rang one morning, and on the other end was the voice of a woman Ben instantly felt a connection to. After a long talk, they agreed to meet. When she saw him in the crowd of folks in the airport she cried for the first time since his birth. Ben held her, as they both stood with tears streaming down their cheeks. That gripping feeling in Ben disappeared forever, and has since been replaced with deep, profound love and joy. His Mom goes to his games and cheers him on, and Ben has two families that love him today.