Friends can be said to "fall in like" with as profound a thud as romantic partners fall in love.

A family stitched together with love seldom unravels.

Why hope to live a long life if we're only going to fill it with self-absorption, body maintenance and image repair? When we die, do we want people to exclaim 'She looked ten years younger,' or do we want them to say 'She lived a great life'?

If the family were a boat, it would be a canoe that makes no progress unless everyone paddles.

I used to anticipate my childhood birthday parties as if each were an annual coronation. Like most kids, I loved sitting at the head of the table with a crown on my head.

Friendships aren't perfect and yet they are very precious. For me, not expecting perfection all in one place was a great release.

Illness is the proving ground of friendship.