Family

My mother’s genius was to put her finger on the gifts she saw in each of us, and make every one of us believe that that gift was uniquely ours.

Whether it was making my bed or making a movie, my mother and father never hesitated to say how proud they were of me, and that means so very much to a child.

My mother never wanted me to focus on my physical self. She always said that beauty is what you do.

Mothers are daily miracles we sometimes take for granted.

A mother’s lap is the best place from which to launch a life.

The most important person to thank is…my mother. She gave me four golden rules to live by: be a proud black man, take care of your family, make education a priority, and try to do the right thing.

When I quit The New York Times to be a full-time mother, the voices of the world said I was nuts….But if success is not on your own terms, if it looks good to the world but does not feel good in your soul, it is not success at all.

My daughters depend on me for a lot more than food, clothing and shelter. They depend on me as an example of how to go on.

You don’t choose your family. They are God’s gift to you, as you are to them.