1.

Her breath exited her mouth in big puffs as if she were smoking a
cigarette. The morning dew had made her clothes damp and she
shivered from the chill in the air. There was only one thing that
could get her up and out this early in the morning.

2. “Ingredients for life,” said the backside of the truck. They mean
food, but really food is only 1 ingredient of life. Life has so many
more ingredients such as pain, happiness, laughter, joy, tears, and
smiles. Life also has hard work, easy play, sleepless nights, and
sunbathing by the ocean. Love, hatred, envy, self-assurance, and
fear could be just down aisle 3 ready to be bought when needed.
How I wish I could pull ingredients like these off shelves in a
store.

3. He ordered his regular breakfast. Two eggs sunnyside up, hash

browns, and two strips of bacon. He continued to look at the menu
wondering if this would be the day he added something new. This
was also part of the routine. A few seconds of hesitation to see if
something else would be added to the order before demuring and
saying that would be all. It was the same exact meal that he had
ordered every day for the past two years.

4. It really doesn't matter what she thinks as it isn't her problem to

solve. That's what he kept trying to convince himself. She was
trying to insert her opinion where it wasn't wanted or welcome. He
already had a plan and even though that plan didn't correspond
with what she wanted him to do or what should be done, it wasn't
her decision to make. The question now became whether he would
stick to his convictions and go through with his plan knowing she
wouldn't approve.
5. Rhonda prided herself on always taking the path less traveled.
She'd decided to do this at an early age and had continued to do so
throughout her entire life. It was a point of pride and she would
explain to anyone who would listen that doing so was something
that she'd made great efforts to always do. She'd never questioned
this decision until her five-year-old niece asked her, "So, is this
why your life has been so difficult?" and Rhonda didn't have an
answer for her.