“I watched her cry--drown herself in a flood of tears. It is a great thing to be in the presence of a rational being who cries. A weak, broken creature shedding tears makes the same impression as an all-powerful god to whom one prays. In her weakness and defeat Amy was above human power.”

“Tears shed for self are tears of weakness, but tears shed for others are a sign of strength.”

“Whenever she felt like crying, she would instead become angry—at someone else or at herself—which meant that it was rare for her to shed tears.”

“I only want to remind you what weak creatures human beings are. Even people who seem to have wills of steel have serious weaknesses! At those moments of weakness, will power breaks into a thousand pieces.”

“Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into the places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish. Compassion challenges us to cry out with those in misery, to mourn with those who are lonely, to weep with those in tears. Compassion requires us to be weak with the weak, vulnerable with the vulnerable, and powerless with the powerless. Compassion means full immersion in the condition of being human.”

“Cry freely and let your tears fall for a life without tears is like a life without heartache weaking and painless”