Expert from cape coddities how does this paragraph relate to the overall passage

Read the excerpt from "how i learned english.” and that was important, as important as joe barone asking me how i was through his tears, picking me up and dusting me off with hands like swatters, what does the imagery in the excerpt best readers picture? the awful stinging sensation of being dusted off the quick slapping motion of joe’s hands how roughly the speaker is pulled off the ground how loud and hard joe is laughing

Leslie would probably have come with us if she didn’t work all summer. which is the verb phrase?

“heartwork each day is born with a sunrise and ends in a sunset, the same way we open our eyes to see the light, and close them to hear the dark. you have no control over how your story begins or ends. but by now, you should know that all things have an ending. every spark returns to darkness. every sound returns to silence. and every flower returns to sleep with the earth. the journey of the sun and moon is predictable. but yours, is your ultimate art.” ― suzy kassem what does this quote mean to you? and why? i'm not looking for anything in particular, i just wanted to know. : )