After I was assaulted in Egypt, I learned fear. I've just never been so scared in my life. I've never been so close to death.

My children are my life. They're so spectacular.

As a species, tragedy dwells within us all. We push it to the back of our thoughts, but it is never so far gone that it cannot return, crashing and writhing into our souls: a rogue wave overturning a boat on a calm day. Tragedy is never more than a breath away. We hide from its certainty and go about our lives as though time can be wasted. Somewhere deep inside ourselves we know that we tell ourselves lies. We know that someday everything we love will be gone.

Life is not about dwelling on the bad.

My life has never been wonderful. Maybe when I was a child, but not after age 15.

I've never been able to plan my life. I just lurch from indecision to indecision.