“The first night in a new place usually gives me a tinny, homesick feeling that makes it hard to sleep. Not homesick for anywhere in particular. Just a general feeling of uprootedness. Loneliness. Even if people I love are sleeping nearby.”

“What the soul hardly realizes is that, unbeliever or not, his loneliness is really a homesickness for God.”

“My stepfather, John O'Hara, was the goodest man there was. He was not a man of many words, but of carefully chosen ones. He was the one parent who didn't try to fix me. One night I sat on his lap in his chair by the woodstove, sobbing. He just held me quietly and then asked only, "What does it feel like?" It was the first time I was prompted to articulate it. I thought about it, then said, "I feel homesick." That still feels like the most accurate description - I felt homesick, but I was home.”

“The soul hardly ever realizes it, but whether he is a believer or not, his loneliness is really a homesickness for God.”

“It is possible to be homesick for a place even when you are there.”

“You make me feel safe, Noah. Maybe if i felt safe i could sleep." "I'll sneak into your room one night and we 'll give it a shot. Sleep only, i promise.”