"I extended my hand, smiling but fighting back tears. He paused for a moment, looking at me, then ignored my hand and embraced me with a big bear hug."...

"He looked at me and spoke, 'I bet you could tell some tales.' This seemed to intensify his grief and he looked back at the water, sobbing."...

"In rural America, cemeteries were often family plots, scattered about the countryside. Many are lost to time, which made my quest difficult."...

"The crows of Round Mountain met with all the owls, and peace was made after all this time, much to the approval of all the Round Mountain critters."...

"I remember how nervous I felt. I was about to defy my father. Daddy had rules when I was growing up, and I was about to break two of the big ones."...

"As I marked my last birthday, memories flooded my mind from times of life, death, joy, sorrow, and grief. I thought of the good times and bad."...

"On the first day of my Master's degree, I dropped out - my heart wasn't in it. But it was not the end of my education. It was the beginning."...

"Memories are a two edged sword. We all have good memories as well as bad ones. Good memories are cherished, but bad memories should also be embraced."...