“The world is so exquisite with so much love and moral depth, that there is no reason to deceive ourselves with pretty stories for which there's little good evidence. Far better it seems to me, in our vulnerability, is to look death in the eye and to be grateful every day for the brief but magnificent opportunity that life provides.”

“Unlike film, real life rarely provides an opportunity for a retake," Ben said. "Perhaps that is why I like film so much. But I do think we have to give ourselves the same amount of leeway that we give others. Forgive ourselves. Have pity on ourselves. And perhaps even love ourselves a little." (197)”

“There is so much in the world for us all if we only have the eyes to see it, and the heart to love it, and the hand to gather it to ourselves--so much in men and women, so much in art and literature, so much everywhere in which to delight, and for which to be thankful.”

“She could see so much in those eyes: pain, vulnerability, and...something tender and soft as he looked at her. True, there was darkness, but it seemed more a result of what had been done to him than what he would do to others. The good in those eyes far outweighed the bad.”

“Life is so good, and it gets better every day.”

“I feel so grateful to discover that each new day brings me the opportunity to watch the sunrise and fall in love with you again.”