Any time I had a teacher in elementary or high school who’d taught Sylvie, they’d say, “Ah, you’re Sylvie Lee’s little sister,” rife with anticipation. I would then watch as their high hopes turned to bewilderment at my stuttering slowness. This was followed by their disappointment and, finally, their indifference.

I am in love with imperfection. Some of my mistakes wind up being the most interesting work I have ever done.

I began to see beauty as something that could be unleashed from within a person rather than a set of physical features like a perfect nose or big eyes.

Now, many years later, I was note sure if we had truly loved each other or merely the versions of ourselves we had seen reflected in the other’s eyes-as if we had acted out a play together, both of us audience and player alike.

Brains are beautiful.

So quickly did we shed the wisdom and kindness of accumulated years, how easily we reverted to our former selves in the company of those who have known us before.

I was beginning to realize that I had kept myself so busy to avoid examining my life, and now that I had the chance, I did not like it at all.

The core power of tai chi begins with awareness. Our stance is the posture of infinity: not tense but relaxed and upright, expectant. From this nothingness, all things begin.

Once you loved him, everything in your life fell into a before and after. Nothing would ever be the same.

But I learned that if you do not speak, no one will ever hear you.