There's a lot of talk these days about giving children self-esteem. It's not something you can give; it's something they have to build. Coach Graham worked in a no-coddling zone. Self-esteem? He knew there was really only one way to teach kids how to develop it: You give them something they can't do, they work hard until they find they can do it, and you just keep repeating the process.

Whatever news we get about the scans, I’m not going to die when we hear it. I won’t die the next day, or the day after that, or the day after that. So today, right now, well this is a wonderful day. And I want you to know how much I’m enjoying it.” I thought about that, and about Jai’s smile. I knew then. That’s the way the rest of my life would need to be lived.

Education best serves students by helping them be more self-reflective.

somehow, with the passage of time, and the dealines that life imposes, surrending became the right thing to do

If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?

I'm dying, and I'm having fun.

People lie for lots of reasons, often because it seems like a way to get what they want with less effort.