“Let's feed out tears to the dragons of misery, but let's never crawl in their mouths.”

“This poem is the poem I'm writing becausewe aren't speaking, and it is making my heart hurtso bad that sometimes I can't make it up off the floor.”

“I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life and I've never let it keep me from doing a single thing that I wanted to do.”

“From the pocket of her robe she pulled out the ring he’d given her, she put it over her finger, sliding it back and forth over her knuckle. “Can I tell you something?” Dad asked. “Yes. Please.” “Any promise you make, whether it’s to your school, or your family, or to Billy, half of the promise is commitment and the other half, is faith. Faith that your commitment is enough. There’s no answer, honey. None.” She stared down at her ring, his words like bells ringing in her head.”

“I think it's so foolish for people to want to be happy. Happy is so momentary--you're happy for an instant and then you start thinking again. Interest is the most important thing in life; happiness is temporary, but interest is continuous.”

“Whether you succeed or not is irrelevant, there is no such thing. Making your unknown known is the important thing--and keeping the unknown always beyond you.”

“If you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it's your world for a moment.”