Soon man will count all his days, and then smaller segments of the day, and then smaller still—until the counting consumes him, and the wonder of the world he has been given is lost.

I asked myself, 'Am I going to withdraw from the world, like most people do, or am I going to live?' I decided I am going to live - or at least try to live - the way I want, with dignity, with courage, with humor, with composure.

I give myself a good cry if I need it. But then I concentrate on the good things still in my life. I don't allow myself any more self-pity than that. A little each every morning, a few tears, and that's all.

Death doesn't just take someone, it misses someone else, and in the small distance between being taken and being missed, lives are changed.

This is the greatest gift God can give you: to understand what happened in your life. To have it explained. It is the peace you have been searching for.

Invest in the human family. Invest in people. Build a little community of those you love and who love you.

Don't cling to things because everything is impermanent.