“It’s almost as important to know what you need to not do, as what you need to do. Actually it may be more important, since it may save you a great deal of effort and possible aggravation. This is where restraint comes in handy.”

“Doing what needs to be done may not make you happy, but it will make you great.”

“It's the action, not the fruit of the action, that's important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there'll be any fruit. But that doesn't mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.”

“Eve paused to let her words sink into the soil of his fatherly impulses. “Blake’s not doing good—you know that. It’s more than possible he won’t make it. Being with the one you love at the end is almost as important as the beginning. It’s a mark in time, before and after. That tiny bit of time in the middle? You never stop thinking about that. She needs to be with Blake.”

“You may never have proof of your importance but you are more important than you think. There are always those who couldn’t do without you. The rub is that you don’t always know who.”

“Abba, you may not like it, but what I'm doing is important. If you don't agree, then I'm sorry. I can't do anything about it.”