The silence was part of the story I wanted to tell.

Before I had children I always wondered whether their births would be, for me, like the ultimate in gym class failures. And I discovered instead... that I'd finally found my sport.

A good home must be made, not bought. In the end, it's not track lighting or a sun room that brings light into a kitchen.

The word NO, carries a lot more meaning when spoken by a parent who also knows how to say yes.

Imagine if you succeeded in making the world perfect for your children what a shock the rest of life would be for them.

You lay your hand against his skin and just rib his back. Blow into his ear. Press that baby up against your own skin and walk outside with him, where the night air will sourround him, and moonlight fall on his face. Whistle, maybe. Dance. Hum. Pray. (how to calm a crying baby)

Not only did I avoid speaking of Salinger; I resisted thinking about him. I did not reread his letters to me. The experience had been too painful.