More than anything else it was this feeling that captivated me—the feeling that, literally, made me captive.

this power wasn’t an idea, a concept or a philosophy; it wasn’t dependent on other people or circumstances. It was an actual, tangible, physical sensation I could connect with and return to.

My reaction to the first sight of that love was extremes of happiness that came from a sense of belonging. Suddenly, finally, things on earth made sense; they had a higher meaning.

It created a strong desire to live differently, but it didn’t show me how. All I had was the memory of the feeling inside.