You know it’s them books what make you talk funny.

So as a seventh grader, no, you weren't friends with people you didn't like. But sometimes you also weren't friends with people you did like, which was complicated, and which didn't make any sense if you tried to explain it. Sometimes things just changed. That's where the sadness came in.

Suck it up. This is the life you chose for yourself, so buck up and deal.

I think that ties in with issues of identity as well - that sometimes there are parts of us we want to hide, and then there's other times we say, "You know what? Nope. Done hiding that part."

Kids are smart. Knowledge is power. Let them figure things out. Don't turn into that grown-up who they won't come to.

Yes, that man acted ugly," she told us in plain English. "But throwing more ugliness back at him ain't the answer.

You should eat a waffle! You can't be sad if you eat a waffle!