Depression was a very active state really. Even if you appeared to an observer to be immobilized, your mind was in a frenzy of paralysis. You were unable to function, but were actively despising yourself for it.

Dying was apparently a weaning process; all the attachments to familiar people and objects have to be undone.

Just as you began to feel that you could make good use of time, there was no time left to you.

That's the risk you take if you change: that people you've been involved with won't like the new you. But other people who do will come along.

The only obvious advantage to being an adult is that you can eat your dessert without haying sampled the vegetables.

successful parenting was like log rolling, and she'd often landed in the drink.

If this was adulthood the only improvement she could detect in her situation was that she could now eat dessert without eating her vegetables.