“Mama. I chose you.”

“When he looks into your eyes, tells you he loves you-and the pickled herring and onions are stronger than his voice-yet you still smile. You still want to be close to him. Yes, then you have found love.”

“Remember that stories are more than just words, more than fairy tales. They are magic.”

“With food, we feed our bodies. With family, we feed our spirits. And we are family.”

“Shared joy is double joy," he said brushing a tear from my cheek, "and shared sorrow is half the sorrow.”

“You chose me, I chose you. End of story.”

“I chose you, Clara, and you chose me. End of story.”