Lately, I’ve been thinking about the treasure trove that can be found in life’s challenging times — the wisdom, the victories, the emotional muscle built and, of course, the stories. As those who know me well often say with a smile, “It’s always about the story with her.”It fascinates me to see what the journey of life will drill into our souls and our minds and how it can turn so effortlessly into songs, books, poetry, movies and kitchen-table stories that will entertain, provoke and evoke.Recently, I watched a PBS documentary on country-music legend Merle Haggard and was so captivated by that installment of “American Masters” that I saved it on the DVR and said to Tink when he returned home, “You must watch this, and I will watch it again with you. It’s fantastic.”He, too, knows the power of personal experience and how it can translate into phrases, dialogue and paragraphs that will enable others to look into a life so different and feel its drama.