Every time I open Facebook, I see a post with something like, "We must forgive or be prisoners of our own bitterness and hate." People think that forgiveness is all-or-nothing, but this myth hurts people. You can forgive 10, 97, or 14 percent. Forgiveness is complicated.

What initially attracts us and what later becomes 'the problem' are usually one and the same.

Love alone is never a good enough reason to marry.

Anxiety is extremely contagious, but so is calm.

Feeling inadequate is an occupational hazard of motherhood.

Pretending can be a bold form of experimentation and inventiveness. In pretending joy or happiness, we may discover or enhance our capacity for it.

The first world we find ourselves in is a family that is not of our choosing.