Do one thing every day that scares you... Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own... Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

Families are ecosystems. Each life grows in response to the lives around it

The secret to happiness, at Thanksgiving or any time, is to find pleasure in imperfection.

Thanksgiving without tension is like a Thanksgiving without turkey. It can be done, but it is not the norm.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they'll be gone for good.

Do not read beauty magazines. They only make you feel ugly.

When you're thinking, "Why do I have to eat Aunt Sue's casserole with potato chips crumbled on top again?" change that thought to "A couple of bites won't kill me."