Baking happens with ingredients that last for months and come to life inside a warm oven. Baking is slow and leisurely.

It's OK to let your children see you cry.

Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

It's rare to find someone excited over jury duty. If they're out there, I've never met them. Not a one. When the summons for jury duty arrives in the mail, how many people scream, 'Yes!' and run to clear the calendar? None. Our first and only reaction is, 'Oh, no,' quickly followed by, 'How can I get out of this?'

To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written.

The secret to success, to parenting, to life, is to not count up the cost. Don't focus on all the steps it will take. Don't stare into the abyss at the giant leap it will take. That view will keep you from taking the next small step.

Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.