1．ON LOVE 2
The Healing Power of Love 2
How Much Love Can You Fit in a Shoebox? 5
Discretion Is the Better Part of Marriage 11
You Do It Quiet 14
Blue Christmas 20
A Hand to Hold 29
Daisy's Trip 35
Lilies of the Valley 38
The $325 Salvation 41
The Kindness of Strangers 46
Los Angeles Gets It Together 52
A Simple Act 56
Hope 60
My Father's Gift 64
Sprite 70
First-Day Employee 73
First Night 75
Missing Pieces 78
A Christmas Adoption Miracle 84
The Storyteller 90
My Second Proposal 99
The Swordsman 102
2．ON PARENTING 109
Rebuilding a Stairway to Heaven 109
The Bus Doesn't Stop Here Anymore 113
Crossing Over 116
Through the Years 118
Leading with My Chin 120
Why Monks Sit in the Snow 121
Making Room for Shooting Stars 124
My Favorite Father's Day 127
Dear Old Dad 130
My Name Is Mommy 132
Mikey's Goal 138
One Rose 140
Can I Come with You? 142
A Daughter's First Dance 145
Love Notes 147
Rite of Passage 151
Wishes for My Daughter 154
The Handwriting on the Wall 156
Leftover Halloween Candy 158
3．ON DEATH AND DYING 161
Gramma's Blanket from Heaven 161
Homer and the Racing Car 165
Seeing Around the Corner 169
My Mother's Eyes 172
My Dad 176
Whistling Pete 179
Legacy of Love 182
The Wave Game 184
Season of Miracles 187
The Gift of Joy 194
Al 196
The Gift 200
Mr.Michael Ted's Big Production 203
4．ON TEACHING AND LEARNING 210
Wrestling 210
The Cage 212
Don't Touch Me 217
Two Little Boys Named Chris 221
Big Heart 222
A Touch of Lemon 224
The Dustpan Carrier 226
The Influence of the Insignificant 230
A Neighbor I'll Never Forget 232
5．OVERCOMING OBSTACLES 237
Everyday Heroes 237
Weep with Those Who Weep 242
Sandy,I Can't 246
Perfectly Normal 249
The Pony 253
Consider This 256
Casting a New Mold for Heroes 259
Angels All Around 263
The Bicycle 268
6．LIVE YOUR DREAM 273
A Glass of Lemonade 273
From Hodgkin's to Ironman 277
The First Step 284
I Promise,Mama 286
A"Real"Beautiful Person 290
This Is Not a Permanent Situation 293
The Confidence Course 296
Twenty Things You Should Do in This Lifetime 297
7．A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE 300
My Dream House and My Boy 300
The Tattooed Child 306
Coat of Many Colors 310
When Social Security Speaks 314
Never Give Up 317
The Little Leaguer I'll Never Forget 321
Hold On to Your Hair! 325
Memories and Laughs 328
Make Mine Vanilla 332
8．ECLECTIC WISDOM 335
Write Your Own Life 335
Nice Timing 337
Take Some Time 339
The Movers and the Gentleman 342
Old Wives'Tales 344
The Runaways 348
The Journey of Success 350
Acknowledgments 352