“Use lots of exclamation points. They love to be overused.”

“Use your internal grandmother for guidance and advice.”

“Certainly survival is important - very important - but at some point surviving wasn't enough. I felt ready to complete my surviving journey and start thriving and just living.”

“If you let yourself be truly seen, then you can be truly loved.”

“Buy or borrow self-improvement books, but don't read them. Stack them around your bedroom and use them as places to rest bowls of cookies.Watch exercise shows on television, but don't do the exercises. Practice believing that the benefit lies in imagining yourself doing the exercises.Don't power walk. Saunter slowly in the sun, eating chocolate, and carry a blanket so you can take a nap.”

“nobody tells us as little girls that we may fall in love and have moments of hating our beloved, or have ridiculous arguments at 2 AM over something that neither person understands.”

“My godchild Zoe, age 6, suddenly said: "Can you describe what romance is?" I talked about wooing, and yearning, and she sighed and leaned back, "I think that love is my favorite thing in this whole world..." Me too, Zoe, me too.”