All my work, my life, everything I do is about survival, not just bare, awful, plodding survival, but survival with grace and faith. While one may encounter many defeats, one must not be defeated.

You will face many defeats in your life, but never let yourself be defeated.

To be left alone on the tightrope of youthful unknowing is to experience the excruciating beauty of full freedom and the threat of eternal indecision.

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

I admire people who dare to take the language, English, and understand it and understand the melody.

I'm a religious woman. And I feel I have responsibility. I have no modesty at all. I'm even afraid of it - it's a learned affectation and it's just stuck on me like decals. Now I pray for humility because that comes from inside out.

Continue. Be loving and be strong. Be fierce and be kind. And don't give in and don't give up.'