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

It was good work, the kind of work that let you sleep soundly at night and, when you awoke, look forward to the day.

Since Mom wasn't exactly the most useful person in the world, one lesson I learned at an early age was how to get things done, and this was a source of both amazement and concern for Mom, who considered my behavior unladylike but also counted on me. "I never knew a girl to have such gumption," she'd say. "But I'm not too sure it's a good thing.

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.

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

You West Virginia girls are one tough breed," he said. You got that right," I told him.

I feel like I failed," I said. "Don't beat yourself up," Jim said. "She might not have turned out like you planned, but that don't mean she turned out wrong.