Before devising any blueprint that includes the assumption of Having It All, we need to ask ... Why do we need Everything?

A toy has no gender and no idea of whether a girl or boy is playing with it.

When the president of the United States flicks the switch to light up the Christmas tree on the White House lawn, that house ceases to be an American symbol; it becomes a Christian symbol.

Before devising any blueprint that includes the assumption of Having It All, we need to ask ... Why do we need Everything?

Over the years, I've found that I either live life or write about it. I can't seem to do both simultaneously - I have to do it sequentially. When I write incessantly, I lose touch with the issues and passions that fuel the work. But when I get too involved in organizations or movement endeavors, I almost forget that I'm a writer. It's a constant struggle to find a balance between these two worlds - the solitary writing life and the life of a social justice activist.

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

As the mother of a son, I do not accept that alienation from me is necessary for his discovery of himself. As a woman, I will not cooperate in demeaning womanly things so that he can be proud to be a man. I like to think the women in my son's future are counting on me.