No one grows up wanting to be known for being homeless. I certainly didn't. When I was a child, I dreamed of becoming a famous writer who made a difference in the world. When I got older, I became a journalist, determined to reach my goals.

I thought my writing dreams were closer to becoming a reality in 2005 when the now-late Tim Russert chose my essay about my 15-year estrangement from my dad for his book Wisdom of Our Fathers: Letters and Lessons From Daughters and Sons. The essay, Russert said, was the reason he decided to include a chapter on forgiveness.

Read the rest on AOL's MyDaily.

By the way, Gina Misiroglu of Red Room put me in touch with the AOL people, which is one of the great ways she's bringing traffic to Red Room and getting attention for Red Room's authors.