“Punishing a person for the wrongs of another makes about as much sense as throwing up to enjoy the meal a second time.”

“It's one thing to give out excellent advice, but quite another to personally swallow it.”

“Don't lick your wounds unless you care to taste the sting a second time.”

“The interruption did nothing but earn her a similar slap, as I’m sure she knew it would. Sometimes I wondered if my mother spoke up at the wrong time on purpose. As often as we endured my father’s abuse, she had to be aware that it wouldn’t save me from a beating but simply earn her one as well. Or was it that sharing my fate made her feel less guilt-ridden about those things that happened to me?”

“Artistry exists in everyone. What makes it blossom is a soul's personal desire to find an outlet for expression.”

“Life is a test.  It was designed to be so.  It is where we taste the bitter and the sweet; where we feel pain and pleasure; where we learn right from wrong; where we pass through both darkness and light.  It is a time to make choices.  And through this process we form our characters—some grand and glorious, some barely decent, and others just plain monstrous. ”

“Okay, let's put this another way―if what you're about to say wouldn't look good permanently engraved on your tombstone, bite your tongue.”