I am poor, but I am rich. I have my children, I have a garden with roses, and I have my faith and the memories of those who have gone before me. What more is there?

There is no rose without thorns.

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

Wait for the fruit to fall into your hand.

Oh Esperanza!' said Isabel, jumping up and down and clapping.'I think my heart is dancing.

You never have to get over it you just have to get on with it.

How many others were walking around and not even knowing that someone far away cared for them? Imagine all that love floating in the air, waiting to land on someone's life!

This is what you learned in college," the narrator tells you early on. "A man desires the satisfaction of his desire; a woman desires the condition of desiring.

Music does not have a race or a disposition! ... Every instrument has a voice that contributes. Music is a universal language...Music surpasses all distinctions between people.

... and her name was Freedom.

You have magic in your heart. Unfold the magnificence of your magical beauty.

I reside in a new colony for the Chinese-singing banjo player, with a population of one. At least I have something I have to do with my life.

When one door closes, another one opens, but sometimes we wait too long looking at the closed door, and never realize that another door has been opened.

Slavery ended and left its false images of black people intact

I am completely 100 percent honest in what I do and who I am, and I've got nothing to hide.

Also, as an author, character has always been what I'm most interested in - much more so than plot or setting, although those are good things too.

Each human being has the right to seek out joy, joy being understood as something which makes one content - not necessarily that which makes others content.

For most of my life, I have wanted broad impact but now, at 72, I'm not so sure that's always my first priority.

If they can play eight more years, then I can too. I'm in better shape than they are.

Men are all right for friends, but as soon as you marry them they turn into cranky old fathers, even the wild ones.