“fMr. Oswald places the telescope on the desk in front of us. "This," he says proudly, "Is a Broadhurst. It was the most powerful telescope for backyard veiwing in its day."Which was when?" Lizzy asks.The nineteen thirties," he replies. "Isn't it a beauty? On a clear night, you could see the whole entire solar system with this one."Unable to stop myself, I blurt out, "My very energetic mother just served us nine pizzas."Lizzy gawks at me like I have two heads. "He's lost it; he's finally lost it. I knew this day would come."Mr. Ozwald chuckles. "Jeremy has just given us a mnemonic device for remembering the order of the planets.”

“So softly Lizzy has to lean over to hear me, I say, 'I can't face the world until I know why I'm here.'You're kidding me.'I shake my head vehemently. 'No. I need to figure out my purpose. Until I do, what's the use of getting up?”

“I'm sorry for the randomness of what I wrote, Mr. Oswald. There's been a lot to absorb.'Without looking up, he says, 'Never apologize for writing your truth, Mr. Fink. There are no right or wrong answers.”

“My eyes are bright, my hair has come loose from its ribbon, and Stella's scarf is waving around my neck. But that's not what I see when I look at the picture. I see three unlikely friends holding hands. And Ryan, Kenny, and Melanie are standing behind us, rapt.And in the sky above us, I see a miracle.”

“When I was your age I knew nothing about the world or my place in it. I figured I'd be someone's wife, then someone's mother. It never occurred to me to be someone myself.”

“How can you, of all people, say everything will be alright?"He has a point. I consider my answer. "Well, it's better than saying 'Keep on crying, I'm sure things will just get worse,' right?”

“We are here because over billions of years, countless variables fell into place, any of which could have taken another path. We are essentially a beautiful fluke, as are the millions of other species with which we share this planet. Our cells are composed of atoms and dust particles from distant galaxies, and from the billions of living organisms that inhabited this planet before us.”