"There is only room in the lifeboat of your life for one, and you always choose yourself, and turn your parents into whatever it takes to keep you afloat"

In this quote, Anna Quindlen is highlighting the significance of self-preservation and focusing on oneself in life. She compares life to a lifeboat, implying that there is limited area and one should choose carefully who to bring along. Quindlen highlights that in the end, we constantly select ourselves and will do whatever it requires to endure and survive. This may indicate turning our moms and dads into whatever we need them to be in order to secure ourselves. It talks to the inherent human impulse to prioritize our own wellness and survival above all else.