Bitter or Better: Grappling with Life on the Op-Ed Page

Well acquainted with family drama and adversity since childhood, newspaper columnist Caryn Sullivan continued to encounter an overlapping string of family crises with a stoic resolve that left her in an emotional cocoon.

A few months after joining what she called the ''freakin' widows club'' in 2009, she met a priest at a social function and unloaded her grief, seeking answers. Sullivan embraced his life-changing advice: ''In the face of adversity, we have a choice. We can be bitter, or we can be better.'' His message became the theme in many columns she wrote about kindred spirits: Bret Baier, Vince Flynn, Temple Grandin, Lee and Bob Woodruff, and more. Encouraged by bestselling author Vince Flynn's generous assessment of her lyrical writing style, Sullivan has woven together her own personal experiences as a life crisis survivor with those of the people behind many columns she wrote for the St. Paul Pioneer Press opinion page.

By sharing stories of those who faced adversity and went on to do remarkable things, Sullivan discovers the healing power of both words and action.

Caryn Sullivan earned a bachelor's degree in mass communication from the University of Utah and a law degree from William Mitchell College of law. She has been a contributing columnist for the St. Paul Pioneer Press since 2007. She was honored with the ARC of Minnesota Community Media Excellence Award. A family crisis survivor, she shares her insights about dealing with life's challenges as a speaker and writer. Her columns and blog posts appear at carynmsullivan.