Part of me loves and respects men so desperately, and part of me thinks they are so embarrassingly incompetent at life and in love. You have to teach them the very basics of emotional literacy. You have to teach them how to be there for you, and part of me feels tender toward them and gentle, and part of me is so afraid of them, afraid of any more violation.

It was not facing what life dealt that made you crazy, but rather trying to set life straight where it was unstraightenable.

That's about 90 percent of my theological life - radical self-care. Put your own oxygen mask on first. I watch the self-talk that goes through my mind, and if I am being critical with myself, I shake myself out of it.

I just try to love and serve everyone, and bring everyone water, and lend an ear; that's what Jesus said to do.

I don't have any romantic views of parenting. Every step of the way it's really hard. It's a dangerous world, physically and psychologically.

Everything takes me forever. It's all lurch, flail. I hope that is good news to you writers.

The reason I never give up hope is because everything is so basically hopeless.