What a great essay!  It brought tears to my eyes.  Isn't it amazing how deep down, we are alllll the same.  It goes perfectly with the theme of the current book I'm reading and podcast I'm listening to.

Steve and I are planning to take a calculated risk for our family.  We don't do these often.  Both of us are terribly risk averse.  Now that there is Olivia, I want to bubble wrap our lives many folds over. BUT, these are the days and years when big decisions are made, and this feeling of "discomfort" is not necessarily a "no don't do it", right??  I'm looking for signs, interventions, answers, hints... anything that can tell me what to do.  I take comfort in knowing that in the big scheme of things, this is small, and too, shall pass.

Loved this documentary (Netflix).  There is one scene where she is donating her collection of clothes to museums and the curators are unfolding and asking her about each piece.  The camera zooms in on her face and I see sadness and mortality.  Things, no matter how beautiful, are just things.  Can't take them with you in the end. 

How do you choose what to give away?

It's not easy. 

Does it keep you up?

oh God no.  I have more important things to keep me up at night... as you get older you realize that all these other things are just ... [she snaps her finger in the air].