The secret to happiness, at Thanksgiving or any time, is to find pleasure in imperfection.

TV happens. And once it's happened, it's gone. When it's gone, you move on, no tears, no tantrums, no videotape

The first gay person I ever met was surely not the first gay person I ever met.

Alcohol, contrary to instinct, is not the secret to happiness.

I couldn't have foreseen all the good things that have followed my mother's death. The renewed energy, the surprising sweetness of grief. The tenderness I feel for strangers on walkers. The deeper love I have for my siblings and friends. The desire to play the mandolin. The gift of a visitation.

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.

Books are like blankets, the mere sight of them around the house provides warmth and comfort. They are like mirrors, too, reflecting places I've been, phases I've been through, people I've loved or thought I did.