I can't imagine anything that would signal more clearly that life goes on and joy can follow tragedy than your having a much wanted child.

I think it's helpful for kids to know that their parents weren't perfect, that they messed up and learned from their mistakes. So be open about some of your own struggles or express gratitude that your kids are taking advantage of the opportunities they have instead of squandering many of them, the way you did.

I have this wonderful capacity just to walk away from my mistakes and not dwell on them.

The world's full of victims and the world's full of terrible perpetrators and I want them identified and caught.

I hate a messy kitchen and my more casual husband has come to recognize it's more pleasant for him to clean up after himself rather than deal with me hating a messy kitchen.

The sadness from reading letters that you know you can't help because it's a person who's in extremis and their problems are not soluble by an advice column.

Insecurity is a toxin and confidence is a tonic, so make the choice not to dwell on the worst possible case.