I used to think that when I grew up there wouldn't be so many rules. Back in elementary school there were rules about what entrance you used in the morning, what door you used going home, when you could talk in the library, how many paper towels you could use in the rest room, and how many drinks of water you could get during recess. And there was always somebody watching to make sure. What I'm finding out about growing older is that there are just as many rules about lots of things, but there's nobody watching.

Why is life so complicated....?' I asked. 'To keep us from being bored,' he said.

It's all right to have secrets, ... as long as you don't have any secrets from yourself.

Saying hello to something new means saying good-bye to something old and loved.

People can't help the way they feel, only what they do about it. They can no longer not be attracted to someone other than their spouse than they can say they are not hungry or not thirsty or not frightened or embarrassed. It's when you act on that attraction when you know it would be bad for your marriage that is the problem. In a good marriage, the couple are each as committed to the marriage as they are to each other.

Writing, for me, is the best occupation I can think of, and there is nothing in the world I would rather do.

I can never understand why people who have not seen me for a while ask if I am still writing. They might as well ask me if I am still breathing.