My dad wanted to name me after Rainier Maria Rilke, the poet.

Faith, mighty faith, the promise sees, And looks to God alone Laughs at impossibilities, And cries it shall be done.

I do not believe that sheer suffering teaches. If suffering alone taught, all the world would be wise, since everyone suffers. To suffering must be added mourning, understanding, patience, love, openness and the willingness to remain vulnerable.

Communication is a continual balancing act, juggling the conflicting needs for intimacy and independence. To survive in the world, we have to act in concert with others, but to survive as ourselves, rather than simply as cogs in a wheel, we have to act alone.