It's something that I know how to do because I taught for a very long time, so I can do it, and I feel a responsibility to do it - for instance, in this situation, where I'm touring specifically for this period of time. But most writers are not public people. There are a few writers out there who really enjoy it and are good at it, and can both work and do that at the same time, but I'm not one of those people.

One thing about failing repeatedly: If you're still doing it after you've failed that much, you really mean it.

In my 20s, I railed against anything 'spiritual', I thought it was all crap.

How could it be that you could love someone so much and keep it secret from yourself as you woke daily so far from home?

Sometimes the dreams that come true are the dreams you never even knew you had.

Out loud I said I had two children. Silently I said three. I always felt like apologizing to her for that.

Sometimes Holly seemed like she wasn't paying attention, and other times she was gone when I went looking for her. That was when she went to a part of heaven we didn't share. I missed her then, but it was and odd sort of missing because by then I knew the meaning of forever. I could not have what I wanted most: Mr. Harvey dead and me living. Heaven wasn't perfect. But I came to believe that if I watched closely, and desired, I might change the lives of those I loved on Earth.