When a lost loved one appears before you, it's your brain that fights it, not your heart.

He did not know that the child who had asked for yesterday was now seeking to own tomorrow.

What she mostly wanted, he learned, was the same thing many people want--someone to notice she was there.

It's always difficult to watch someone you love die.

This is part of what a family is about, not just love. It's knowing that your family will be there watching out for you. Nothing else will give you that. Not money. Not fame. Not work.

I used to be a classic workaholic, and after seeing how little work and career really mean when you reach the end of your life, I put a new emphasis on things I believe count more. These things include: family, friends, being part of a community, and appreciating the little joys of the average day.

I don't know what it is about food your mother makes for you, especially when it's something that anyone can make - pancakes, meat loaf, tuna salad - but it carries a certain taste of memory.