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Two massive title fights headline the card, including Slap fighting legend Wolverine. Also on the card is former WWE champion Jay Cager and the debut of former UFC heavyweight Chris Barnett. You can watch Power Slap 23 for free on Power Slap's YouTube channel Thursday, September 17, for the first time from Texas. Power Slap's biggest card of the year. New and exclusive holiday decor just launched online at the Home Depot.
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Here's the story. "I'm sorry," was what I had wanted to say. Too bad I lacked the nerve to say it. Two little words. That's all they were.
But if I had the courage to say them, they would only open the door to more words. Many more, an inevitable conversation would result if my thoughts were given a voice, and to be honest, talking about it was something I'd been trying to avoid. And so we sat out on our deck in silence, watching the intermittent bursts of lightning in the distant nighttime skies. The muffled rumbles of thunder that followed gave fair warning of the coming storm. The symbolism suggested by its approach wasn't lost on me, as I thought about all we'd been through lately, especially the infertility.
I wondered if she thought about it as much as me, and if so, what was she thinking? A part of me wanted to know, but fearing what she might say, or worse yet, how she might react. I was curious enough to wonder, but cautious enough not to ask. In truth, my silence sustained my sense of security, but it was merely postponing the inevitable. I knew that sooner or later she was going to want to talk about it, and when she does, my fragile defenses will most certainly crumble, especially if she becomes emotional.
Should that happen, we're going to have another problem, perhaps a bigger one. I am not going to be able to comfort or console her. No reassuring words from me will be forthcoming. The truth is, they can't, and this is a shame, because she deserves better than this, and maybe, she deserves better than me. I blame infertility as the sole obstacle that's come between the way we've been living and the idyllic life that we planned.
After marriage, we saved money and bought a house. Renovations followed, and so too did a new puppy. When the work was done, and our house had become our home, it was time to begin filling the freshly painted bedrooms with babies. But it didn't turn out that way. We did come close to achieving our goals, but without children, living that 1950s sitcom life that I'd envisioned while growing up watching reruns of shows such as *Ozzy and Harriet* or *Father Knows Best*, just wasn't happening.
In the end, even our puppy wasn't enough to provide me with that sense of family. That TV dad, Ozzie Nelson, must have felt when he came home at the end of the day, to Harriet, David, and Ricky. The storm was getting closer. I knew we should talk, but my fears demanded otherwise. They did, however, provoke an unexpected memory.
I was at camp, a young scout, standing on the edge of the dock. Waiting for the signal to enter the cold, dark, and frightening waters for my swimmer's test. Not being very good at camp aquatics, I knew that I would have to push aside my fears, take a deep breath, and jump in.
So many years have passed since then, but once again, I found myself standing on the edge, knowing what I had to do, knowing. That it was almost time to jump back into the frightening waters. A brilliant flash crossed the sky, and was immediately followed by the sounds of rolling thunder. And then silence. The air became still, the calm before the storm.
Another fitting metaphor. I closed my eyes, gathered my thoughts, and then, finally. Allowed them a voice. Choking back my fears, I took a deep breath, and jumped in. I began by saying how frustrated I'd become with everything having to do with infertility.
I'd grown weary of living by the dictates of the calendar, thermometers, and early morning temperature taking. Of charts and graphs that predetermine the optimum time and date to make a baby, and then our failures to do so. I was sick of doctor visits and waiting rooms. I wanted to be like any other dad, playing catch with his son, or the proud pop walking his daughter down the aisle on her wedding day. I had my fill of friends asking when we were going to start having kids.
And family members wondering if a new niece or nephew, cousin, or grandchild would be making an appearance anytime soon. I was tired of wanting children, waiting for it to happen, and knowing it may never. I mentioned medical alternatives. I questioned God's wisdom, and then I went for broke. I asked her to tell me how she really felt about all this, without holding back, without sparing my feelings, without the sugarcoating.
And then, I was done. I exhaled, and I shut up. She didn't say a word. I prayed for a flash of lightning, a clap of thunder, anything to break the silence. I blew it, and I knew it.
I never should have said all that I had, and now I waited to suffer the consequences for being a horrible spouse. And then I remembered the one thing that I had wanted to say, but had forgotten to mention. This time, it didn't require taking a deep breath or any courage to say those two little words that I've been carrying around in my heart for far too long. I'm sorry. And then, I added something that we both already knew.
It's all my fault. And of course, it was. Whereas she was physically ready and able to become a participant in the adventures of parenting, apparently, I wasn't, and therein was my dilemma. If our failures to conceive a child caused her sadness, how could I be the supportive husband, the comforting partner that she might need and certainly ought to have? When, after all, I was the cause of her unhappiness.
When I was the reason that she has never received a card on Mother's Day, her expression was disarming, comforting, reassuring. Her smile immediately told me what she was thinking, but I knew she was going to tell me anyway.
Sometimes you can be so stupid," was what she said. The problem, she added, isn't yours, and it isn't mine. It's ours, and no matter what happens, it happens to us, for better or worse. I knew she meant it too, for better or worse. Part of our wedding vows.
Suddenly, they took on a whole new meaning, providing the comfort that I worried I couldn't give. But now, I needed far more to receive. And that was it. I jumped into the frightening waters, and survived. Rescued by the person I most loved in the world, and nothing else, as it turned out, mattered more than that.
The storm that had been slow in arriving suddenly dissipated. Becoming little more than a gentle summer night's rain. It was impossible to foresee the future. No way of knowing if we would ever conceive a child. And yet, I felt a comforting reassurance in knowing that no matter what life held in store for us, we would face it together, as partners, as friends, and as man and wife.
For better. Or worse, and great job on that faith. And thanks to Stephen Rosediac for his candor and for his honesty. And that's what we do here on this show: we tell you the stories that you want to hear and need to hear. Again, no screaming and yelling on this show; just stories from the heart.
And this is a tough one for any man, for any woman, and it can ruin marriages. I've seen it happen, and we all know it. We've known people in our lives who've gone through this. Sex turned into a job, intimacy destroyed, blame well enough to go around everywhere. I jumped into the frightening waters and survived, rescued by the person I most loved in the world.
And that's what happens when you open yourself up to someone you love. At least that's what can. Stephen Rossettiak's story, and thanks to the folks in Chicken Soup for the Soul, and this came from Chicken Soup for the Soul, married life, and thanks to them for this partnership. Stephen Rossettiak's story.
So many married couples suffering from this thing called infertility. Here on our American stories. Liberty has never been just a word to we Americans. It has guided every one of our endeavors for the past 250 years, and now it takes form in a new way. The 2026 semi-quintennial coin and medal program from the United States Mint it celebrates the founding ideals that have long shaped our coinage.
Available one year only, this historic collection features new coin designs. Edition releases and reissues. Shop new official coins at usmint.gov/semiq. That's usmint.gov/semiq. Spending time outdoors?
Then let's talk about skin cancer. Non-melanoma skin cancers, or NMSCs, including basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, are the most common cancers in the U.S. and can become harder to treat if left undetected. That's Why sun protection and timely detection matter. Our sponsor Regeneron is raising awareness about advanced NMSCs.
Learn more and take the pledge to see a dermatologist annually at Let's Get Real About Skin Cancer dot com. Power Slap 23 is live and free on YouTube on Thursday, September 17. Dana White is bringing Power Slap to Texas for the first time on the campus of Texas Tech University. Two massive title fights headline the card, including Slap Fighting Legend Wolverine. Also on the card is former WWE Champion Jake Hager and the debut of former UFC Heavyweight Chris Barnett.
You can watch Power Slap 23 for free on Power Slap's YouTube channel Thursday, September 17 for the first time from Texas. Power Slap's biggest card of the year. Wednesday, October seventh at nine eight Central on BET. Tyler Perry's sisters return. Things getting juicy.
What am I missing? Everything. As Danny reveals secrets kept close. Who hurt you? It was the police officer.
And Andy confronts the one who hurt her most. I know you bombed my car. I'm nowhere near being done with you. Little lies cause bigger consequences. This just took an interesting turn.
Tyler Perry's sisters return. October seventh at 9:00 8 Central, only on BET.
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