Every day is deeper and richer and more soulful.

They say that the average lifespan of an SVU detective is 4 years. People can't do it longer than that because it's so difficult.

But trust can take you a long way. And my faith takes me a long way. And I think that our pains, our vulnerabilities, and our insecurities can fuel us to be better. To try harder. To dig deeper.

I'm a size 8, and I feel proud of that, because it's healthy. I've never felt compelled to be a skinny actress.

Losing my mother at such an early age is the scar of my soul. But I feel like it ultimately made me into the person I am today; I understand the journey of life. I had to go through what I did to be here.

Becoming a parent erased many of my negative childhood feelings and filled them in with something new.

If I can play a little part in the world's healing, and making it a better place than when I came, then I just thank God for that chance.