1. Empathy
1.1. The author believes that empathy is essential for growth and maturity.
1.1.1. "I was sitting in the ruined little garden among the uprooted and ruined flowers, crying and crying, and it was too late to undo what I had done."
1.2. The author believes that empathy is a lesson you take with you for the rest of your life once you have matured.
1.2.1. "And I too have planted marigolds. "
2. Growth
2.1. The author believes that when faced with consequences, you are forced to grow and mature.
2.1.1. "That violent, crazy act was the last act of childhood."
2.2. The author believes that fear shows that she has empathy and understands what she has done which makes her grow as a person.
2.2.1. "The room was too crowded with fear to allow me to sleep"
3. Guilt
3.1. The author believes that even if you have guilt over something or empathy for somebody, it doesn't mean that it is always forgiven.
3.1.1. "Despite my wild contrition she never planted marigolds again."
3.2. The author believes that guilt means that you feel empathy for another person.
3.2.1. "Suddenly I was ashamed, and I did not like being ashamed."
4. Maturity
4.1. The author believes that you can not have innocence when mature.
4.1.1. "This was the beginning of compassion, and one cannot have both compassion and innocence."
4.2. The author believes that when you realize that you have done something wrong you have matured as a person.
4.2.1. ¨¨The child in me sulked and said it was all in fun, but the woman in me flinched at the thought of the malicious attack that I had led.¨
5. Compassion
5.1. The author believes that compassion is essential for growth and maturity.
5.1.1. "I was sitting in the ruined little garden among the uprooted and ruined flowers, crying and crying, and it was too late to undo what I had done."
5.2. The author believes that to have compassion for somebody, you have to be mature.
5.2.1. ""I looked beyond myself and into the depths of another person."
6. Acceptance
6.1. The author believes that acceptance is essential for growth and maturity.
6.1.1. "I know that that moment marked the end of innocence." (she learned to accept this)
6.2. The author believes that to mature you have to be able to accept things, including your own faults.
6.2.1. "Innocence involves an unseeing acceptance of things at face value, an ignorance of the area below the surface."