Time is funny—especially as you get older. A lot of people ask me how long I’ve wanted to become an author, and my automatic answer is that it’s been a lifelong dream. And that’s absolutely true. But the more I think about it, the more I realize this dream didn’t happen overnight. It happened in pieces. In years. In numbers that quietly added up: 1980 : The year I was born. Writing would become a quiet, thoughtful thread that ran through my life—especially helping me cope wit

I wholeheartedly believe in the transformative power of the written word. It informs, inspires, and ignites action. It builds goodwill,...