“A lot of children don’t find forever homes because they’re on that special-needs list, even if it’s because of something as simple as her mother smoked cigarettes for a month, not knowing she was pregnant.”

It’s easy to be taken advantage of if you’re not honest.

I’m not perfect. But clothes help. A good bra with some underwire definitely helps a lot!

I want to stay in the moment and enjoy the great things that are happening.

I’m not terribly sentimental.

Of course, of course I’m grateful. How can I not be grateful? I have been afforded such a wonderful life.

I think that I always loved being the centre of attention!

I always assume I look better than I actually do. I’ll feel pretty good about myself when I leave the house, then I’ll see a picture and think, ‘Crap, I had no idea that’s what I was looking like.’

I spent so many years just saying what I felt without thinking about the ramifications, without understanding that I have this opinion but not everyone might share that opinion and now they don’t like me because of it.

I just ultimately wanted to be a mother. I love children.

I have my moments, but generally speaking I shy away from being too lovey dovey.

I definitely want to go out and explore different personalities and different people.

I like going on location for films.

When something disappointing happened, my mother would remind me not to let that become my focus. There’s still so much to be grateful for.

I’m too lazy and I like food and I like my free time too much to spend it working out!

As women, we have more of a tendency to be people-pleasers, and I know a lot of women who are not vocal about what makes them happy.

The mouthier I got, the more I’d be celebrated.

I wasn’t very good in academics, but I could have been if I could have studied well. I was a smart kid.

Becoming an inspiration for kids is great. I want to inspire them to do whatever they want to.

Most people assume that women are responsible for households and child care. Most couples operate that way – not all. That fundamental assumption holds women back.

Life is not safe, and so our task is not to promise our kids there will be no turbulence. It’s to assure them that when the turbulence comes, we will all hold hands and get through it together.

I ask only child-free pals for parenting advice because they’re the only ones sane and well-rested enough to have any real insight.

You see much more of your children once they leave home.

Rock bottom is a crisis. And everyone wants to avoid crisis. But what ‘crisis’ means literally is ‘to sift’ – like a child who goes to the beach, lifts up the sand, and watches all the sand fall away, hoping that there’s treasure left over. That’s what crisis does.

I’m always trying to push myself to the limit to see what I can do. It’s my strong will that I’ve always had since I was a kid.