Song of Songs 8:5-14

5 Who is that coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? Under the apple tree I awakened you. There your mother was in travail with you, there she who bore you was in travail.
6 Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death, jealousy is cruel as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a most vehement flame.
7 Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly scorned.
8 We have a little sister, and she has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister, on the day when she is spoken for?
9 If she is a wall, we will build upon her a battlement of silver; but if she is a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar.
10 I was a wall, and my breasts were like towers; then I was in his eyes as one who brings peace.
11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baalhamon; he let out the vineyard to keepers; each one was to bring for its fruit a thousand pieces of silver.
12 My vineyard, my very own, is for myself; you, O Solomon, may have the thousand, and the keepers of the fruit two hundred.
13 O you who dwell in the gardens, my companions are listening for your voice; let me hear it.
14 Make haste, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag upon the mountains of spices.

Kristen: Tell me about your childhood.
Zoë: I’m the oldest of ten but I grew up as the oldest of nine, because number ten came along when I was 24. I was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, then moved to New England for seven or eight years and then moved back. Most of my childhood memories are Nova Scotia – based.
 
Kristen: Did you enjoy being the oldest?
Zoë: I had a positive experience. My mother made sure I was not overburdened. I had my moody teenage years when I was trying to do my teenage things. I have a lot of traits of a typical oldest child, including being maternal and nurturing. I didn’t end up marrying until very late in my life and I don’t have any children yet – and that has been a big surprise.

(Click on Zoe's picture to learn more about life coaching, or click "Read more" to see the rest of our interview.)