Gone. Vanished. Nothing left. Nothing said.

What was I supposed to be, growing in your womb -- assuming it was even in our womb that I was conceived? A seed of hope? A ticket purchased to ferry you from the dark? A patch for that hole you carried in your heart? If so, then I wasn't enough. I wasn't nearly enough. I was no balm to your pain, only another dead end, another burden, and you must have seen that early on. You must have realized it. But what could you do? You couldn't go down to the pawnshop and sell me.

The impact had cut your upper lip in two, he had said, clean down the middle. Clean down the middle. Like a harelip.

Without women taking an active role in Afghan society, rebuilding Afghanistan is going to be very difficult.

Life is a train, get on board.

At times , he didn't understand the meaning of the Koran's words . But he said he liked the enhancing sounds the arabic words made as they rolled off his tongue . He said they comforted him , eased his heart . "They'll comfort you too . Mrariam jo , " he said . "You can summon then in your time of your need , and they won't fail you . God's words will never betray you , my girl . (pg.17)

If America taught me anything, it's that quitting is right up there with pissing in the Girl Scouts' lemonade jar.