Sometimes having a child felt like she had put her DNA into a little paper boat, and that she was pushing it out into a stream to see how far it would make it. Go, kid, go. Keep the genetic material alive.

That’s part of it, she thought, at one level…passing the genes along. But there are the other parts. Like trying to share basic life lessons, the ones her parents had told to her and the ones hard-learned:

Need to make small talk, with your peers? Pop culture is a good starting point. Want popularity? Rebellion is key when you're young because kids want to be free of adult rule, but play it smart and keep yourself safe.

Things seem bad? Hang in there. Times will change, the tide will turn, it eventually gets better. When thing are at their worst, take joy wherever you can find it, even in the smallest things.

People are capable of the very worst behavior, but they are also capable of great kindness. You want to be ready for both—the worst and the best.

Try to be one of those who offers the best.

Most importantly remember that, no matter what, your mother always, always loves you.

"The last one. Is it most important? Perhaps, most important to me," she thought, "But why is that declaration of love, the inept attempt to capture all our caring and emotion into a sentiment, why is that often the final message we want to impart? Is the love we give, finally, what we believe is our biggest legacy?"