“We are so blessed with an abundance of wonder on this planet and in this universe that we are numb to it. And it is often only in times of intense crisis that such things be come apparent. That we can see ourselves in philosopher Alan Watts’ phrase, ‘As an aperture through which the universe is looking at and exploring itself.’”

“Silence is pain, but it is pain with an exit route. When we can’t speak we can write. When we can’t write we can read. When we can’t read we can listen. Words are seeds. Language is a way back to life. And it is sometimes the most vital comfort we have.”