"Behind my smile is a breaking heart, behind my laugh I'm falling apart, behind my eyes are tears at night, behind my body is a soul trying to fight."

Faced with many obstacles, my struggles began at the age of 3 with a near death experience. I suffered physical, mental and sexual abuse from those I trusted. Although I have gone through these obstacles, I was determined not to allow these circumstances to dictate my future. The one thing that I wanted most in his life was love. I esteemed my great-grandmother and grandmother dearly. Through their teaching of loved I learned to cope with situations others found difficult. The 'village' they created for the family taught independence, tough love, structure and a Christian foundation. Going to church was mandatory in the family, thus making the community my safe haven. I would often run there to escape the abuse I endured at home. Drawn to the inspirations of seeing two parent families inspired me while attending church with my great grandmother or grandmother. Admiring the structure of those family dynamics would give me that sense of pride and fortitude to press through obstacles. Through my hurts writing would be my relief for expressing my angers, frustrations, and displeasures with events I would faced or have to immediately deal with. Writing was and still is my peace thanks to Dr. F. Nelson, my high school principal.

K. Vachel Lynn is a father, grandfather, brother, friend, mentor, motivator, volunteer, dynamic motivational speaker, community activist, college professor, trainer, business consultant, poet, a War Veteran serving during Desert Storm and Desert Shield and the author of Overcoming Obstacles. I received my BS degree in Organization Communication and a Master's degree in Global Operations and Supply Chain Management. I worked with Habitat for Humanity helping rebuild homes for families that were left displaced. I assisted with the Rebuild of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina which affected the lives of thousands of families in Louisiana; that not only lost their homes but also lost love ones. These jobs allowed me to fill a void in my life as well as make a difference in the lives of many people who I have encountered.

Understanding that Love is the Greatest Gift yet the Least given I sought out to correct some errors I encountered in my life.