I won't pretend to sit here and know exactly how you should go about seizing the day and loving your sparkling, precious life. Only you know what thrills and depresses you, and so much of this comes from tapping the seriously-wise voice inside.

Here I sit every day with the exciting and unpredictable life of this ivy plant on my left and a reminder of peaceful smile of death on my right. And that's where I live. That's where we all live.

The older I grow the more I know this moment is as good as it gets because it's the only moment I have, so why not live in it as deeply and richly as I can.

I didn't meet Jamie until after she died. Think life is certain? Guess again. Jaime was a blaze of florescent colors until she stepped off a curb ...