Resilient

In this unusual and insightful part-memoir part-self-help guide, readers will discover what it takes to mentally and physically push through difficult and challenging life circumstances, and how to find good strategies to spring back from those hardships. According to Richard Ramos’ family, marriage was something to be avoided. Not even his grandparents had been married. His parents did marry, but that ended in an ugly divorce. From his perspective as a child growing up amid the carnage, being married only brought intense pain and deep despair. Not that marriage ever seemed an actual possibility for a gay man back then. But what a difference a few years can make! Laws changed with the Marriage Equality Act, and so did Richard’s attitude. He fell in love, and against every advice he’d heard throughout his life, he decided to take a chance on wedded bliss, and planned to live happily ever after. But even before two years were up, the person he’d considered to be his true love betrayed him badly. Although his marriage ended in disaster, with the help of family, friends, and his own fortitude and determination, Richard was able to journey through the difficulties, and in the end he did not abandon the idea of marriage. His story is about resilience-heart wrenching, but always relatable.