At 50, I began to know who I was. It was like waking up to myself.

The love of the family, the love of one person can heal. It heals the scars left by a larger society. A massive, powerful society.

At our best, we're all teachers

...We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated. That sounds goody two-shoes, I know, but I believe that a diamond is the result of extreme pressure and time. Less time is crystal. Less than that is coal. Less than that is fossilized leaves. Less than that it's just plain dirt. In all my work, in the movies I write, the lyrics the poetry, the prose, the essays, I am saying that we may encounter many defeats - maybe it's imperative that we encounter the defeats - but we are much stronger than we appear to be and maybe much better than we allow ourselves to be.

Everything in the universe has a rhythm, everything dances.

Strong women- precious jewels all- their humanness is evident in their accessibility. We are able to enter into the spirit of these women and rejoice in their warmth and courage.

If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude.