I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.

The music was my friend, my lover, my family.

A leader sees greatness in other people. He nor she can be much of a leader if all she sees is herself.

Would you deny your son or your daughter the ecstasy of finding someone to love?

My entire stay there [high school] might have been time lost if it hadn't been for the unique personality of a brilliant teacher. Miss Kirwin was that rare educator who was in love with information. I will always believe that her love of teaching came not so much from her liking for students but from her desire to make sure that some of the things she knew would find repositories so that they could be shared again.

Without defeats, how do you really know who the hell you are? If you never had to stand up to something - to get up, to be knocked down, and to get up again - life can walk over you wearing football cleats. But each time you do get up, you're bigger, taller, finer, more beautiful, more kind, more understanding, more loving. Each time you get up, you're more inclusive. More people can stand under your umbrella.

My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style