It’s no secret that I love my grandchildren. I love them unconditionally just because they are. But one of the things I love about them is that they are cheerleaders for each other. For example, when Evie got up the courage to jump in the swimming pool with no one to catch him, Molly yelled, “You did it!” and clapped. When Molly decided she was ready to poop on the potty, it was Evie’s turn to yell and clap. Similarly they cheered for Janie taking her first steps and Finny learning to sit up. I guess we’ve all taught them that. After all, Kristen, Robyn, and I were all high school cheerleaders. But I think that sometimes I need a reminder, especially when it comes to the writing life. When someone else’s book is published while I’m still collecting rejections, I admit that my first thought is envy. What I’m learning to do is to wallow in that thought for no more than five minutes, and then I pick up my megaphone and start cheering. Someone else’s success does not take away from my own. I think of how dull the world would be if there were only one author and one collection of books, and I thank my grandkids for reminding me of that every day.