You have to be your own person. You can't let people's opinions determine how you think about yourself. There's a difference between identity and self-identity.

I won't be what I'm not. -Jing-mei

God, life changes faster than you think.

He asked if he could recite a poem he had written that morning: 'You speak,' he said, 'the language of shooting stars, more surprising than sunrise, more brilliant than the sun, as brief as sunset. I want to follow its trail to eternity.

I hated the tests the raised hopes and failed expectations.

too much happiness always overflowed into tears of sorrow.

Among writers, if you don't have a therapist, it's like saying you don't keep a journal or use the thesaurus. It's a natural accompaniment.