“The moonlight rained down on the beach as if to shine a spotlight on my solitude, and I wanted to cry out at it, ‘Why did you take her? You, surrounded by all of your twinkling stars and infinite wonders and darkness. There’s already enough beauty where you are.”

“Where are the stars on this dark, dark, night?Where is there tiny twinkling light?Where is the music?Where is the song?Where are the colors?Something is wrong.Sometimes stars hide in the clouds,and their light seems far away.Sometimes voices are hushed and still,and the rainbow fades to gray.Sometimes the world is topsy-turvy,and nobody really knows why;Sometimes sad things happen,and even grown-ups cry.But always, my child, always,you are safe here in my arms.The world may be topsy-turvy,but I will shelter you from harm.Always the stars are twinkling,even when clouds hide their light.I promise you voices will sing again,and colors will again shine bright.I promise there is always tomorrowfor starlight and rainbows and song;My love will always surround youunchanged, unbroken, and strong.”

“If darkness surrounds you, look for the light. If you can't see it, raise your head up. You may be surrounded by darkness but it does not cover you on top. Let the light shine down on you and let it lead the way out of darkness.”

“There’s never been anyone but you, Bryn . . . ever. You’ve been that one shining star in the night sky, shining brighter than the others, until that’s all you can see in the surrounding darkness.” His lips rested over mine, for the shortest moment, before they fell away. “Your light is blinding.”

“Imagine something. Something that fits in the dark. Say the dark is the sky at night. Imagine something in it.”“A star?”“Yes.”“I can’t. I can’t see it.”“Okay. Don’t try to see it. Try to be it. Would you like to know what it’s like to be one? Be a star?”“A movie star?”“No, a star star. In the sky. Keep your eyes closed, think about what it feels like to be one.” He moved over to her and kissed her shoulder. “Imagine yourself in that dark, all alone in the sky at night. Nobody is around you. You are by yourself, just shining there. You know how a star is supposed to twinkle? We say twinkle because that is how it looks, but when a star feels itself, it’s not a twinkle, it’s more like a throb. Star throbs. Over and over and over. Like this. Stars just throb and throb and throb and sometimes, when they can’t throb anymore, when they can’t hold it anymore, they fall out of the sky.”

“I think when you’re young you should be a lot with yourself and your sufferings. Then one day you get out where the sun shines and the rain rains and the snow snows and it all comes together.”