Writers are the raw nerve of the universe [whose] job is to go out and feel things for people, then come back and tell them how it feels ...

Do it at all cost • A permission slip to fail • Grace to find my way

I carry the message in my bones that I must show up unless I can prove that something terrible happened and not showing up is unavoidable.

Note to self: When things feel overwhelming, remember … One thought at a time. One task at a time. One day at a time.

Down is up. Up is … • Heart. Hurts. Mind. Numb. What was I … • Must keep it simple

Snapshots from a grieving brain.

If weights were invisible, the gym would look like a terrible slow-motion rave.

Searching for meaning •Connection to the divine •Relics from childhood

Do you believe in lucky charms?

Nostalgia is memory minus anxiety. - B.J. Novak

Blissful innocence • Mischievous impulses • Collective surprise

I don’t know who was more surprised and embarrassed, my brother or me.

People are going to stare. Make it worth their while. - Harry Winston

Innocent actions • Judged by a critical stare • Caught. Exposed. Ashamed.

It started with hiding booger consumption and quickly moved to food.

Whatever pain you can’t get rid of, make it your creative offering. - Susan Cain

Innocence of youth • Tarnished through violent outbursts • Is anywhere safe?

I was convinced if I could make myself unappealing, perhaps even a little scary, no one would come chase me with a shovel.

I think that I shall never find a soul as pure as my feline ...

From two different worlds • Opposites in every way • An unlikely pair

Max embodied “curiosity killed the cat” while Oliver is a “scaredy-cat”.

Whoever said that diamonds are a girl’s best friend has never been owned by a cat.

Heart formed like fur coat. • Black and white; gritty and soft. • Scared but trusting. Home.

“Of course you want the cat who comes at you, hissing, with claws out!”