I read an interview with the musician Bret Michaels who just had an incident of blood bursting in his brain. He said it felt like a gun shot when it happened. It was an incident that should and could have ended his life. He described that in the instant when he felt the pain his mind sorted out immediately what was important — his sisters, mother, wife, children.

One of my most beloved movies is Love Actually. In the opening scenario they show real footage of people running up to greet each other just after getting off of planes at Heathrow airport. Children meeting grandparents, couples of every age and gender, friends, families running with open arms toward each other, faces full of anticipation and joy, straight into embrace. One of the comments in the background monologue is that when the calls came in from the planes going down on 9/11 every one of them was to people the callers loved, and about love.

Being with my youngest in Colorado right now feels like a full experience of what matters. Sending pictures of her with her puppies to my mother, sisters, nephews and in-laws fills me with a sense of joy in what matters. This is it.