I sat down in the sand, breathless with shame and failure. God, I thought, some defender of the weak. Some freedom fighter: Joan of Arc in sunscreen.

I am skittish about relationships, as most of the marriages I've seen up close have been ruinous for one or both parties.

At our most primitive we are storytellers and dancers.

My heart was broken and my head was just barely inhabitable

Perfectionism means that you try not to leave so much mess to clean up. But clutter and mess show us that life is being lived.

A big heart is both a clunky and a delicate thing; it doesn't protect itself and it doesn't hide. It stands out, like a baby's fontanel, where you can see the soul pulse through.

Your problem is how you are going to spend this one odd and precious life you have been issued. Whether you're going to spend it trying to look good and creating the illusion that you have power over people and circumstances, or whether you are going to taste it, enjoy it and find out the truth about who you are.