Rule 1: When all else fails, follow instructions. And Rule 2: Don't be an asshole.

All I know is that after 10 years of being sober, with huge support to express my pain and anger and shadow, the grief and tears didn’t wash me away. They gave me my life back! They cleansed me, baptized me, hydrated the earth at my feet. They brought me home, to me, to the truth of me.

The reason 'help' is such a great prayer is that God is the gift of desperation. When you're in despair, you're teachable.

In fact, not forgiving is like drinking rat poison and then waiting for the rat to die.

I think that is why we stay close to our families, no matter how neurotic the members, how deeply annoying or dull- because when people have seen you at your worst, you don’t have to put on the mask as much.

Life with most teenagers was like having a low-grade bladder infection. It hurts, but you had to tough it out.

Just don't pretend you know more about your characters than they do, because you don't. Stay open to them. It's teatime and all the dolls are at the table. Listen. It's that simple.