Much of my life had been devoted to trying not to cry in front of people who loved me, so I knew what Augustus was doing. You clench your teeth. You look up. You tell yourself that if they see you cry, it will hurt them, and you will be nothing but a Sadness in their lives, and you must not become a mere sadness, so you will not cry, and you say all of this to yourself while looking up at the ceiling, and then you swallow even though your throat does not want to close and you look at the person who loves you and smile.

I said nothing—I hadn’t known Marya, and anyway, “listening quietly” was my general social strategy

Colder by the hour, more dead with every breath.

Easy comfort isn't comforting

It's nice to have people who will feel guilty for you.

Read a lot. Read broadly... Tell stories to your friends, and pay attention to when they get bored... Write a lot.

The truth hurts because it's real. It hurts because it mattered. And that's an important thing to acknowledge to yourself.