I tell myself that God gave my children many gifts - spirit, beauty, intelligence, the capacity to make friends and to inspire respect. There was only one gift he held back - length of life.

There's nothing I like less than bad arguments for a view that I hold dear.

I tried to allow my children to take risks, to test themselves. Better broken bones than broken spirit.

it is not tears but determination that makes pain bearable.

Birds sing after a storm; why shouldn't people feel as free to delight in whatever remains to them?

The most important element in human life is faith; if God were to take away all his blessings-health, physical fitness, wealth, intelligence-and leave me with but one gift I would ask him for faith. For with faith in him and his goodness, mercy and love for me, and belief in everlasting life, I believe I could suffer the loss of all my other gifts and still be happy.

Make sure you never, never argue at night. You just lose a good night's sleep, and you can't settle anything until morning anyway.