Looking Back, Looking Forward

It’s a good moment to look behind and ahead, at the turning of the year. Accomplishments, failures, lessons learned, goals achieved —and new goals and hopes for the months to come. I’ve never really made New Year’s resolutions, but from the time of the solstice to the changing of the calendar, it does seem like a great opportunity to take stock of where you’ve been and where you want to go. And, of course, where you are now.

My grandmother and me in 2011. She was a fan of my books, and would h...