“There are many different parts to ourselves, and to become a woman of knowledge, you must know all the parts. There is a part of you that is actually just your vitality, your life force. Get to know the part of yourself that is just being or just a quality of living in your life force . . .And as there is a part of you likes to just be, there is a part of you that likes to do things. Perhaps the part of you that is always accomplishing things has taken over the part that just likes to relax in silence, maybe even to the point where the part of you that likes to just "be" is overshadowed. Is that possible?”

“I know I won’t be there for every part of your life, but I’d like you to be there for every part of mine. I do.”

“If you don't turn your life into a story, you just become a part of someone else's story.”

“There will always be a part of me that is dirty and sloppy, but I like that, just like all the other parts of myself.”

“You don’t know what goes on in anyone’s life but your own. And when you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re not messing with just that part. Unfortunately, you can’t be that precise and selective. When you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re messing with their entire life. Everything. . . affects everything.”

“I just wanted to see if... we were okay," she said, feeling relief. "Just to make sure we can be friends. I don't want it to be weird, you know?" Friends? Different parts of Birdie died as she said it. It was like stars exploding and burning one by one. She wondered if this was part of getting older. Parts of your heart exploded and died.”