When the ax came into the forest the trees said the handle is one of us.

I feel that all you can do is give it your absolute best with whatever gifts the universe has given you. And if you make it in some way that other people can recognize, that's fine. But even if you don't quote-unquote make it, you're fine, if you've given it your whole heart and soul. You're totally in sync with your purpose and with the universe. And that's fine.

When people become elders - when they're older; they can be old without being an elder, really. They [can] just be old and not very useful.

I love the natural world - it comes from my culture, which grew out of a people enslaved.

I feel a little peculiar around the children. For one thing, they grown. And I see they think me and Nettie and Shug and Albert and Samuel and Harpo and Sofia and Jack and Odessa real old and don't know much what going on. But I don't think us feel old at all. And us so happy. Matter of fact, I think this the youngest us ever felt.

Even as I hold you, I am letting you go.

You can't send me anywhere that I wouldn't be happy to go. You'd be surprised as to how that lightens the heart.