Grandmotherhood initiated me into a world of play, where all things became fresh, alive, and honest again through my grandchildren's eyes. Mostly, it retaught me love.

"Why is it sports is the only thing white people see us being successful at? I don't want to play football," he said. "I wanna be a lawyer." "That's fine with me," I said, a little annoyed. "I've just never heard of a Negro lawyer, that's all. You've got to hear of these things before you can imagine them." "Bullshit. You gotta imagine what's never been."

It takes a bee 10,000,000 trips to collect enough nectar to make 1 pound of honey.

Disconnected from my feminine soul, I had also unknowingly forfeited my power to name sacred reality. I had simply accepted what men had named. Neither had I noticed that when women give this power away, it is rarely used to liberate and restore value to women. More often it is used to shore up and enhance the privileged position of men.

All my life I've thought I needed someone to complete me, now I know I need to belong to myself.

When had my fear of broken plates gotten so grandiose? My desire for extravagant moments so small?

You think you want to know something, and then once you do, all you can think about is erasing it from your mind.