Welcome to Kelly Corrigan Wonders. I'm Kelly Corrigan.

And today I'm wondering about that moment in parenthood when you first realize that there are no do-overs and that it's going faster than even you were warned about.

If you are a regular listener, you know that I have crossed the

threshold into empty nesthood. I've done a few episodes on it, but today I have a thought

partner in Mary Louise Kelly, who, as an NPR correspondent, looked up from her life and noticed

that her days with her boys were numbered. In her book,

it goes so fast a year of no do-overs. She wrestles on the page to our great benefit about the

pressures of being a working mom, sometimes being an at-home mom, and what regrets she might be stuck with for the rest of her

days if she doesn't make a more intentional set of choices. Before we dive in, I want to welcome you

to reach out any time with feedback or questions. Our email address is hello at kellycoring.com.

All right. Let's dive into my conversation with Mary Louise Kelly, recorded at the Aspen Ideas Festival.

Hello.

Hi, everybody.

I was just saying when I walked in, this was not at all what I was expecting.

I thought we were going to be like up on a bar,

and I was regretting that I hadn't packed my cowboy boots to. Oh, yeah. It's the Wheeler House

Opera Bar, and I thought... Maybe afterwards we could get up on the bar.

Depending on how well it goes. Yeah, that's right. So you're a novelist, which is really surprising.

I don't think most people know that.

But tonight we're talking about a nonfiction book. It's called It Goes So Fast. Have you heard of this?

Yeah. Have you read it? Okay. How many people here are empty nesters? Okay. And how many women here were working moms?

I still are. God bless you. Okay. So this is a book fundamentally for me about opportunity costs because every day at four o'clock two things in your life happen what are those two things

...