But our lives aren't one suspended moment, a single either-or-choice; they're a strong of moments, a string of choices."
-- Mary (I Miss You When I Blink)

Importance: In looking back at her past choices throughout "I Miss You When I Blink," Mary comes to understand her life by reflecting on her past choices. Throughout the memoir, Mary struggles with the seemingly paradoxical nature of choices, always boiling things down to an either-or choice. However, by the end of the book, Mary is able to look back on her life as a complete picture and accept the decisions, whether right or wrong, that she has made.

Truly, if I picked different snapshots from this time in my life, they'd add up to a picture of perfection.
-- Mary (Everything to Be Happy About)

Importance: This difference between Mary's reality and how she is really feeling is a strong source of tension in the novel. Although her life was created by a series of "right" choices that she...