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

“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.”

“Mama. I chose you.”

“Shared sorrow is lessened, shared joy is increased”

“Could it possibly be that he yearned for some of the same things she yearned for? Love. Someone to call your own. Someone to share the joys and the sorrows of life.”