“There isn’t a woman I know who hasn’t said they wished they’d listened to their mother… especially where the three Big Ms of women’s lives are concerned: mothering, money, and men.”

“Mia: I was sixteen when I first realized my mom was more concerned about my appearance than I was… I’ll be talking to my mom and realize she hasn’t heard a word because she’s studying my face to see if the foundation I’m using is a good match for my skin tone.”

“Claire: One of the hallmarks of a mother-daughter relationship is what I call the Zero to Sixty Factor. We can get instantly irritated at each other and just as instantly move on… Men don’t get this. Paul will say, “Girls, stop fussing,” and we’ll immediately turn and say in unison, “We’re not arguing.”

“Claire: Once your baby arrives, the world is no more the same than you are. Because from our very bodies we add to the collective human destiny.”

“Travel empties out everything you’ve into the box called your life, all the things you accumulate to tell you who you are”

“Your first period may unequivocally announce puberty, but your first 9–5 doesn’t definitively mean you’ve grown up.”

“Once your baby arrives, the world is no more the same than you are. Because from our very bodies we add to the collective human destiny. Our deepest urge is always toward life, to wholeness and well being.”