Nora.

This morning, I was beginning to read Nora Ephron's last book, I Remember Nothing, for the second time (I just finished this book - amazing, and am waiting on this book, of which I'm slightly skeptical but interested nonetheless), and I came upon Nora's lists of "what I won't miss" and "what I will miss."  I've been meaning to post this all summer.  But rereading her lists made me fall in love with her all over again.

I read this book while I was on vacation in Vieques this past July.  One evening, Brian was taking a nap after a rum-runner or two, and I decided it would be nice to go sit by the ocean with a glass of champagne in one hand and my notebook in the other.  Making my own "what I will and what I won't miss" lists was magically cathartic and more eye-opening than I imagined.  It already sticks out as one of those moments I will never forget.  

What I Won't Miss

Dry skin
Bad dinners like the one we went to last night
E-mail
Technology in general
My closet
Washing my hair
Bras
Funerals
Illness everywhere
Polls that show that 32 percent of the American people believe in creationism
Polls
Fox TV
The collapse of the dollar

Joe Lieberman

Clarence Thomas

Bar mitzvahs
Mammograms
Dead flowers
The sound of the vacuum cleaner
Bills
E-mail. I know I already said it, but I want to emphasize it.
Small print
Panels on Women in Film
Taking off makeup every night

What I Will Miss

My kids
Nick
Spring
Fall
Waffles
The concept of waffles
Bacon
A walk in the park
The idea of a walk in the park
The park
Shakespeare in the Park
The bed
Reading in bed
Fireworks
Laughs
The view out the window
Twinkle lights
Butter
Dinner at home just the two of us
Dinner with friends
Dinner with friends in cities where none of us lives
Paris
Next year in Istanbul
Pride and Prejudice
The Christmas tree
Thanksgiving dinner
One for the table
The dogwood
Taking a bath
Coming over the bridge to Manhattan
Pie

. . . 

Wish I could have known you, Nora, even though I feel like I already do (I know I'm not alone here :). If you're feeling inspired, I'd encourage you all to do it, too. xx.

p.s. Lena Dunham remembers her friend in an extremely thoughtful tribute.  

p.p.s. OF COURSE Lena and Nora were close! Lets just talk about how perfect that is!

Photograph by Linda Nylind/Eyevine