“Wesley taught me the Way of the Owl. In the human world your value as a person is often intrinsically linked to your wealth or most recent accomplishment. But all the accoutrements of the world were stripped away from me when I got sick. Welsey made me realize that if all I had to give was love, that was enough. I didn't need money, status, accomplishment, glamour or many of the empty things we so value.”

“Wesley went everywhere with me from then on. I even wrapped him in baby blankets and held him in my arms while grocery shopping, to keep him warm during the first cold winter. Occasionally someone would ask to see "the baby," and when I opened the blanket, would leap back shrieking, "What is that?! A dinosaur?" Apparently, the world is full of educated adults with mortgages and stock portfolios who think people are walking around grocery stores with dinosaurs in their arms.”

“There is only one thing solid enough to hold on to and it is her. I love her. She is my other half, my second chance, the only way in the world I could have learned to be more than a monster. Her weakness showed me my strength, her faith made me believe, her love made me whole. I will never forget her, and I wont let her go.”

“The Words of an Angel As I sit in a world of darknessI look around to see no oneThe cold wind has filled my soulThe rivers have poured inside my bodyAnd the weight of the waters holds me back from seeing the light of dayWhat should I do?I feel helpless,Paralyzed in my own fearsAnd lost with no directions or roads to takeSuddenly, a felt a laser of energy bolt though my bodyI yelled, “I’m so tired of feeling this way, I need help”Suddenly, gold light appearedAnd a man stood before meYou foolish man,You choose this path the moment you chose to give up and wallow in your sorrowsI cannot help youYou need to help yourself.There are no rivers in your soul holding you back from light of the worldThe strength lies within youLook in my eyes and tell me what you seeThe lost man looked into the angels eyes and said, I see a man who gets his strength from helping othersHe does not waste time focusing on useless mattersIf you dig deep enough my childYou will find precious gift inside yourselfGifts you never knew you hadLearn from othersThen help yourselfOnce you helped yourselfGo out and help the world around youBecause many people feel as you doThe angel suddenly disappearedThe lost man was no longer lostHe was determined to waste no timeHe was going to use his time to help othersJust as the angel helped himThe man got upHe realized the only thing holding him down was himselfThe room was no longer darkThe light of life had enteredDig deep in yourself and lift yourselfThe answer to your problems lies withinUse your giftsFor the greatest gift is the gift of giving.”

“Would Alona be gone before I even got a chance to say good-bye? A real good-bye? One last kiss and the chance to tell her that she’d made my life better even as she’d made me crazy? That we were better together than I would ever be by myself, but that because of her, I would be okay? Not great, but okay, and I owed that all to her? No. I needed to see her one last time.”

“Forever," I echo, and for the first time, I know that forever is a promise I can keep. I will love her forever, until the world crumbles and this memory is the only thing keeping me sane.”

“Love doesn't want people to stay ignorant and frightened. Love doesn't value obedience over all else. Love doesn't judge and find some lives--or loves--more valuable than others. Love doesn't use people and throw them away. Love stays, and makes you stronger, even when the person you love is gone.”