I think I benefited from being equal parts ambitious and curious. And of the two, curiosity has served me best.

When something enters your life that is so big and so non-negotiable as catastrophic illness, you either go in denial for a while or ultimately you accept it and you make space for it. And in making space for it, you illuminate a lot of things that you normally don't have room for you simply just look at the world differently.

I didn't want o do metal work and get my hands all nicked up and be around guys. So I took drama because there were a lot of girls.

My happiness grows in direct proportion to my acceptance, and in inverse proportion to my expectations.

If one of my kids reads a book for school and I can have a conversation with her about the book and I sense that she gets what the book is about, then it doesn't really matter to me if she gets an A on the paper.

I've never gotten up to see something one of my kids wanted to show me and not been rewarded.

The story is a testament to the consolations that get me through and give meaning to every area of my life.