“TreeIt is foolishto let a young redwoodgrow next to a house.Even in this one lifetime,you will have to choose.That great calm being,this clutter of soup pots and books--Already the first branch-tips brush at the window.Softly, calmly, immensity taps at your life.”

“BE CALM! And listen to the voices in your head. They promise the next one will be a bestseller.”

“It was great to float on your back in a calm sea and have somebody steer you.”

“Buy it for the lady who’s about to become your mother-in-law, the one who’s already trying to control your life and the lives of the three children she’s already pressuring you to have. Give her the book one day out of nowhere, just as a nice surprise, and when she hugs you, calmly whisper: “Don’t fuck with me, Ellen. Don’t even think about it. Ever.” Then smile at her like everything is wonderful. Because from now on, it will be.”

“Let your convictions be always calm, serene and superior to the inevitable trials of life. - Sir Wilfrid Laurier”

“Retire to the center of your being, which is calmness.”