“Ellen had long ago stopped being embarrassed by temper tantrums. She flipped it and wore it like a badge of honor. A temper tantrum was a sign that a mom said no when it counted.”

“Even people who counted their blessings never counted them in the morning. For one thing, there wasn't time.”

“She kept an eye on the horizon, or where she thought it was, and understood that not everything that existed could be seen. Not every border was clear.”

“She realised that letting someone go was setting them free.”

“Likewise, I would never be so rude as to not interrupt a friend. How else would she know I was listening?”

“It's fun to do something dumb. Not something really dumb, like my second marriage. That was really really dumb.”

“A movie theater is Switzerland of the diet world.”