"Who among us is not at a loss for words? Tears pour out. Tears of joy. Tears of relief. A stunning, whopping landslide of hope in a time of deep despair. In a nation that was founded on genocide and then built on the backs of slaves, it was an unexpected moment, shocking in its simplicity: Barack Obama, a good man, a black man, said he would bring change to Washington, and the majority of the country liked that idea."

"Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently."

"Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish."

"If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain."

"Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrongs."