I got a fortune cookie that said, "To remember is to understand." I have never forgotten it. A good judge remembers what it was like to be a lawyer. A good editor remembers being a writer. A good parent remembers what it was like to be a child.

If an opportunity scares you, that's God's way of saying you should jump at it.

I hope readers will do what I do when I read a novel I like: talk in ways that will illuminate their own lives.

Sometimes we don't see out of our peripheral vision what's coming right around the corner.

Maybe crazy is just the word we use for feelings that will not be contained.

So you're getting squeezed at both sides. You're taking care of your mom and dad and you're still doing caregiving with your kids, which is not easy. But I think overall, there's a level of satisfaction that might be unparalleled.

So carry your courage in an easily accessible place, the way you do your cellphone or your wallet. You may still falter or fail, but you always know that you pushed hard and aimed high. Take a leap of faith. Fear not. Courage is the ultimate career move.