“Holy mother of Lord Cocoa Puffs”

“Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray thee, Lord, my soul to keep.If I should die before I wake,I pay thee, Lord, my soul to take.”

“Of course, the wedding preparations are very stressful," my mother says.My father grunts. "You're not the one writing the checks.”

“My mother had soft hands that smelled like soap, and a smile like the first bit of sunlight creeping over a trimmed lawn.”

“I just wanted you to be safe," my mother says. "Do you understand that? Safe, and happy. Anything I could do... even if it meant I couldn't be with you...”

“Lord, help us root our feet to the earthAnd our eyes to the roadAnd always remember the fallen angelsWho, attempting to soar,Were seared instead by the sun and, wings melting,Came crashing back to the sea.Lord, help root my eyes to the earthAnd stay my eyes to the roadSo I may never stumble.-Psalm 24 (From "Prayer and Study," The Book of Shhh)”

“You have to understand. I am no one special. I am just a single girl. I am five feet two inches tall and I am in-between in every way. But I have a secret. You can build walls all the way to the sky and I will find a way to fly above them. You can try to pin me down with a hundred thousand arms, but I will find a way to resist.”