“I did not want my tombstone to read, 'She kept a really clean house.”

“I used to want the words "She tried" on my tombstone. Now I want "She did it." ”

“The headline read, Man Saves Child From Burning House, and I just have to ask: Why did that kid want to burn down the house?”

“Before I die, I want to change my name to "Here," so that my tombstone could simply read, "Here lies." And then people who knew me could walk by, shake their head, and say, "Ain't that the truth.”

“I want you to put 'He didn't want to ride the damn horse' on my tombstone.”

“Tiger Lily went back into the house, from which she kept watch of the ocean. She held her arms around her stomach and stayed awake. She didn't want him to catch her sleeping. Peter did not come that night, or the next day, and she stayed awake. She did not believe he could have really gone, because for her, to leave the person you loved was impossible. For three days, she kept on studying the horizon, even speaking to it, as if a ship that had already disappeared could hear her. "Choose me." And Peter did choose. But he chose something else.”