“Tell me once more about the eternal surf.”

“Awareness is everything. Hallie once pointed out to me that people worry a lot more about the eternity *after* their deaths than the eternity that happened before they were born. But it's the same amount of infinity, rolling out in all directions from where we stand.”

“Once a year I need to hear you tell me how proud you are of me for growing a little more.”

“Don’t tell me about the seasons in the East, don’t talk to meabout eternal California summer.It’s enough to havea few days nakedamong three hundred kinds of rain.”

“Once she was standing by her locker and her puka shells broke and scattered and she made a joke about it but he could tell she was upset. He wanted to buy her some more. He wanted to give her a million strands of little nesting polished shells, and tropical flowers and ice creams and lemonades and a pale blue surfboard to teach her to surf on and anything else she wanted. Instead he let his checkered Vans step on one of the rolling shells and crush it.”

“Mrs. Cadbury: Tell me what you know about yourself.Anne Shirley: Well, it really isn't worth telling, Mrs. Cadbury... but if you let me tell you what I IMAGINE about myself you'd find it a lot more interesting.”