Sitting there with them, it was almost hard to remember when I first came to Perkins, so determined to remember to be a one-woman operation to the end. But that was the thing about taking help and giving it, or so I was learning; there was no such thing as really getting even. Instead, this connection, once opened, remained ongoing over time.

I seriously doubt that the Santa police do an underwear check." -Cora

Maybe marriage, like life, is'nt only about the big moments, whether they be good or bad. Maybe it's all the small things — like being guided slowly forward, surely, day after day — that stretches out to strengthen even the most tenuous bond.

But unfriendly is usually one of those things you pick up on right away. You know, like B.O. There's no hiding it if it's there.

Grief can be a burden, but also an anchor. You get used to the weight, how it holds you in place.

My dad is a retired Shakespeare professor, my mother a retired classicist. Suffice to say I grew up in a house full of books, where reading was encouraged if not required.

What do you do when you finally hear everything you've always thought said aloud?