As a means of coping with the insidious losses compelled by ALS, I, a former licensed, doctoral level psychologist and professor, turned to writing my family's history in a fictional novel set in South Texas where my family's roots date back to 1753. After my diagnosis in 2004, I began a self-motivated journey in search of meaning, guided through writing, self-reflection, and prayer. Among the positives of ALS is that today I find myself on a spiritual plane, surrounded by family and love, far from the stress filled rat race I once knew as life.