“Our life would be what we made of it--nothing more, nothing less.”

“But you know as well as I, patriotism is a word; and one that generally comes to mean either my country, right or wrong, which is infamous, or my country is always right, which is imbecile.”

“We are like the phoenix," said Abuelita. "Rising again, with a new life ahead of us.”

“Okay, you're right about that. But this whole ghost thing's irritating." "Park benches are irritating to you in some moods." "Depends on whether or not I want to sit down.”

“Maybe, just maybe, it's difficult to find solace in one another, in anyone, or anywhere, because everyone is hurting at the same time.”

“Most people seem to believe that if a relationship doesn't last until death, it's a failure. But the only relationship that's truly a failure is one that lasts longe than it should. The success of a relationship should be measured by it's depth, not by it's lenght.”

“When people criticize me for not having any respect for existing structures and institutions, I protest. I say I give institutions and structures and traditions all the respect that I think they deserve. That's usually mighty little, but there are things that I do respect. They have to earn that respect. They have to earn it by serving people. They don't earn it just by age or legality or tradition.”

“We must be ready to change our circumstances by changing our mindsets and sometimes, our environments.”