“Words are messy, but sometimes, words are all you've got to show what matters most.”

“Sometimes the words people don't say are as powerful as the ones they do.”

“Pretendin'. I'm still pretendin'.For the rest of my life, I'll be pretendin'.How ya doing? they ask,and I say,Okay, man,even though I'm not.I'm not okayand I'm never gonna be okay again.I just don't get it, how they don't see myinsides hangin' out, when it's all I can doto put these feelings into wordsbecause words don't meana thing.—Joe”

“There is darkness on the water. There is darkness on the land. There is darkness all around us, but I will hold your hand. You are safe, my precious child. You are safe now, you are home. We have found you and we love you. You will never be alone.”

“Some cancers are sneaky.They're silent and invisible.They creep up on youand invade so deep on the insidethat no one on the outsideeven knows the cancer's thereuntil it's too late.”

“We have found you and we love you. You will never be alone. I will sing to you of morning, I will stay until it's light. I will sing to you of laughter on the other side of night.”

“Maybe love is likea monsoon rain.When it rainsreally hard and heavy,it seems like it will never endand we'll swim in mudforever.But then the wind shiftsand the earth growsdry and cracked.Every gurgle and oozetiptoes awayand we're left wishingand waitingfor rain again.Maybe love is like that.Maybe the wind shiftsand love just tiptoes away.”