Why don't you put your ego down for a while, Justin. It must be getting heavy.

Up to this point your life has pretty much sucked. You’re not responsible for that. But you are responsible for what happens from here on.

I think those who have impact and influence over us are often unaware.

She gazed toward the marsh that grew thicker, deeper, greener with approaching summer. Mosquitoes whined in there, breeding in the dark water. Alligators slid through it, silent death. It was a place where snakes could slither and bogs could suck the shoe right off your foot. And it was a place, she thought, that went bright and beautiful with the twinkling of fireflies, where wildflowers thrived in the shade and the stingy light. Where an eagle could soar like a king. There was no beauty without risk. No life without it.

...but even strong women need an arm to lean on now and then. (Anna Whitney in Glory in Death)

Memories are nice little possessions. As long as you don't ignore the present when you take them out to play.

Change was as much about loss as gain, about giving something up even as you reached for something new or different. The world was opening up, not closing in.