“That's when you know for sure somebody loves you. They figure out what you need and they give it to you -- without you asking.”

“I used to believe my art had to be about the things that brought me joy and gave me hope. But I learned that art can be found in all of life, even in pain. --Valentine, while in Italy (pg 267)”

“A handwritten letter carries a lot of risk. It's a one-sided conversation that reveals the truth of the writer. Furthermore, the writer is not there to see the reaction of the person he writes to, ...”

“He said a man should always have to work hard to win a woman's heart, because when he gets it, it's worth it, and he'll never take it for granted.”

“If you look around to find meaning in everything that happens, you will end up disappointed. Sometimes there arent reasons behind the terrible things that go on. I ask myself, If I knew all the ans...”

“I love you , Valentine is actually a popular phrase used in greeting cards.If you were sending me one, what would it say? he asks.I love you, too, Roman.And there it is, words that I dread to say a...”

“work at our responsibility as parents as if everything in life counted on it, because in fact everything in life does count on it.”

“Happiness [is] only real when shared”

“That's what people do who love you. They put their arms around you and love you when you're not so lovable.”

“It seems to me that since I've had children, I've grown richer and deeper. They may have slowed down my writing for a while, but when I did write, I had more of a self to speak from.”

“It didn't matter that there was a war on our doorstep. She had things to do, places to be.”

“Stranger inside me, when you are born, I will give youa closed book and ask you never to read it, never rest, never forgive a man who wants to save you.”