“Don't worry about hurting me, if that's what you're afraid of. I want to get hurt. At least Ill feel something for a change.”

“Life should be a risk. It's more than a straight line that you can see clearly from one point to the other. It dips and curves and you never know what's around the bend sometimes until you get ther...”

“Some people try to tell you the things you want in life are out of your grasp, while others lift you up on their shoulders and help you reach them. I may not know a lot, but I prefer to fill my lif...”

“it's good for you to write down your thoughts. It'stherapeutic because it forces you to slow down and think aboutlife.”

“You're not saving lives, Dad. You can't save lives when no one's living anymore. (Maddie)”

“If you have confidence, if you believe in yourself, you can go anywhere.”

“Instead of communicating "I love you, so let me make life easy for you," I decided that my message needed to be something more along these lines: "I love you. I believe in you. I know what you're c...”

“Eric moved the broom experimentally and made an attempt to sweep the glass into the pan while it lay in the middle of the floor. Of course, the pan slid away. Eric scowled.I'd finally found somethi...”

“I gladly gave my aunt the privilege of scraping off all gum so my job wasnt as interesting or horrifying. I did find a few more menu drawings--a babys scribble, an elaborate tic-tac-toe board, and ...”

“When I say it's you I like, I'm talking about that part of you that knows that life is far more than anything you can ever see or hear or touch. That deep part of you that allows you to stand for t...”

“You know Balbec so well - do you have friends in the area?'I have friends wherever there are companies of trees, wounded but not vanquished, which huddle together with touching obstinacy to implore...”

“Things that matter are not easy. Feelings of happiness are easy. Happiness is not. Flirting is easy. Love is not. Saying youre friends is easy. Being friends is not.”