A suprising number of physicians manage to continue to care about persons even after the rigors of medical training.

The family is changing not disappearing. We have to broaden our understanding of it, look for the new metaphors.

The human species thinks in metaphors and learns through stories.

There are few things as toxic as a bad metaphor. You can't think without metaphors.

Monotony and repetition are characteristic of many parts of life, but these do not become sources of conscious discomfort until novelty and entertainment are built up as positive experiences.

Improvisation and new learning are not private processes; they are shared with others at every age. We are called to join in a dance whose steps must be learned along the way, so it is important to attend and respond. Even in uncertainty, we are responsible for our steps.

...a disgruntled reflection on my own life as a sort of desperate improvisation in which I was constantly trying to make something coherent from conflicting elements to fit rapidly changing settings.