I come out of real life.

I took my son's name. I didn't take my husband's name.

Those who need a champion cannot afford compromise, in the face of forces that are powerful, persistent and pernicious and greedy.

This diagnosis is a reminder that this is the life you've got. And you're not getting another one. Whatever has happened, you have to take this life and treasure and protect it.

My heart goes out to the grieving parents who lost their two-year-old or their newborn.

You don't have to be perfect; you just have to be open.

But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful.