The fact is, you don't love me, and you haven't destroyed me. You don't have what it takes to do that.

Life's too short to care about what other people think. Besides, they should accept us for who we are

One time I saw a tiny Joshua tree sapling growing not too far from the old tree. I wanted to dig it up and replant it near our house. I told Mom that I would protect it from the wind and water it every day so that it could grow nice and tall and straight. Mom frowned at me. "You'd be destroying what makes it special," she said. "It's the Joshua tree's struggle that gives it its beauty.

I lived in a world that at any moment could erupt into fire. It was the sort of knowledge that kept you on your toes.

If you want to be treated like a mother, act like one.

In this world, it's not enough to have a fine education. You need a piece of paper to prove you got it.

But no matter how much planning you do, one tiny miscalculation, one moment of distraction, can end it all in an instant.