Nancy Friday

I didn’t want to disrespect my parents, so I never played blues around the house. But I knew then, same as I know today, that I wasn’t doing anything wrong. I think that before they died, they both felt very proud of me.

To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there.

She does have a very nice figure… If [Ivanka] weren’t my daughter, perhaps I’d be dating her.

My daughter hasn’t seen me with anybody in five years. I’m very, very selective when it comes to that because I want to make sure that it’s real. I don’t want her to see me with just anybody because she means everything to me.

I was probably 10 or 11 when I saw that, and sort of started thinking, ‘You know what? Marriage is an option. Having a family is an option. And going to school and getting your education and building your career is another really viable option that can lead to happiness and fulfillment.

I pay my mama’s bills, I ain’t got no time to chill.

Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.

Once I became a mother I knew that I was strong, but not ready to do what I’m doing now

[Babies are] a loud noise at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.

Maybe that’s all that family really is, a group of people who all miss the same imaginary place.

I am indebted to my father for living, but to my teacher for living well.

No person in their right mind would want to put their family through what I’ve had to put my family through.

Brothers and sisters are as close as hands and feet.

My father would always praise me. He always thought I was the smartest person

My mother’s a psychologist, my stepfather’s a psychologist, my stepmother is a therapist and my dad’s a lawyer. So it was all prominent in my life. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t know someone on some form of prescription medicine.