“It's that old, old fear thing again. Why does it creep along with us, attached to us like our shadow? Why can't it just leave us alone? Why can't we tell each other what we think and what we feel?”

“Why must women stay quietly? Why must we be little moons, each of us stuck in our little orbit, revolving around a planet that is some man? Why can't we be other planets? Why must we be moons?”

“Everyday, Athena. Everyday, each of us has to face a battle against our own shadows. Don't think you're any different. But this is why we have people who love us. If you can't fight, then I will.”

“Why is life so difficult? Why can't we be just ourselves and have everyone accept us the way we are?”

“Why does it take fear to move you? Why does it take chaos to make us understand exactly what we need to do?”

“why can't we love the right people? what is so wrong with us that we rush into situations to which we are manifestly unsuited, which will hurt us and others? why are we given emotions which we cannot control and which move in exact contradiction to what we really want? we are walking conflicts, internal battles on legs.”