“Sometimes being a good mother gets in the way of being a good person.”

“Time is a cruel thief to rob us of our former selves. We lose as much to life as we do to death.”

“Would that we could soar forever beyond the reach of earth, away from the dangers that await us the moment we alight.”

“Life causes estrangement enough—why do we add to it out of misplaced pride?”

“I know now one must plan one’s old age as surely as one plans any other stage of life. The tragedy of Cousin Josie’s life is that she never knew what she wanted at any age—only what she did not want. She never wanted to marry nor to pursue a career, and in life, unlike grammar, double negatives do not produce an affirmative.”

“Search your own life for the story only you can tell. The best thing about writing from life is that you can be sure of using original material. And no research is needed beyond the time you spend looking deep inside your own heart.”

“Find the Good and Praise it" by Alex Haley”