She had her addictions and one of them was reading.

Fussing over children who cry only encourages them. That's positive reinforcement for negative behavior.

You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. You have to find the redeeming quality and love the person for that.

She never felt sorry for herself, and that was something I decided I admired most in people.

Interesting people always have a past.

It's so much of what art and creativity are, being able to confront your own demons. If you can do that, you can get through just about everything.

The women I know with strong personalities, the ones who might have become generals or the heads of companies if they were men, become teachers. Teaching is a calling, too. And I've always thought that teachers in their way are holy-angles leading their flocks out of the darkness.