Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Parents are always more knowledgeable than their children, and children are always smarter than their parents.

I did not need to know if he could love me.
I needed to know if he could need me.

The end of suffering does not justify the suffering

'I'm not smarter than you. I'm more knowledgeable than you, and that's only because I'm older than you

Even though Dad's coffin was empty, his closet was full

I kept thinking about how they were all the names of dead people, and how names are basically the only thing that dead people keep.

I'm sure I don't have to tell you that the vast majority of the universe is composed of dark matter. The fragile balance depends on things we'll never be able to see, hear, smell, taste, or touch. Life itself depends on them. What's real? What isn't real? Maybe those aren't the right questions to be asking. What does life depend on?

I wish I had made things for life to depend on.

"Where were you? I was worried." I told him, "I found the lock."

"You found it?" I nodded. "And?"

I didn't know what to say. I found it and now I can stop looking? I found it and it had nothing to do with Dad? I found it and now I'll wear heavy boots for the rest of my life?

"It was simple. Highs and lows make you feel that things matter, but they're nothing." "So what's something?" "Being reliable is something. Being good."

"Mom?" "Yes?" "I'm going out." "OK." "I'll be back later." "OK." "I don't know when. It could be extremely late." "OK." Why didn't she ask me more? Why didn't she try to stop me, or at least keep me safe?