“The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren't small, but you're living them in a small way. I'm speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!”

“I'm here to live, and I feel small.”

“Open your eyes, look within. Are you satisfied with the life you're living?”

“You took angel blood. You took a small dose, so the change on your body is small, but...I can see from your face that you're changing. With injections from Icoru, you'll become a monster. You'll become immortal...Even though, you'll be no longer human. Already, you're becoming a monster. How sad. You have but one life to live, and you throw it away on this.”

“But no matter,” Grandmother said. “Let’s let small-minded people live within the confines of their small-minded assumptions while the rest of us carry on with our lives.”

“Write about small, self-contained incidents that are still vivid in your memory. If you remember them, it's because they contain a larger truth that your readers will recognize in their own lives. Think small and you'll wind up finding the big themes in your family saga. ”