Notteviddia

“Don’t worry. I’m going to give you a balloon, Grandpa. So you can have it in space.”

  “A balloon won’t stop me from disappearing, Noahnoah.” Grandpa sighs.

  “I know. But you’ll get it on your birthday. As a present.”

  “That sounds unnecessary.” Grandpa smiles.

  The boy nods.

  “If you keep hold of it you’ll know that right before you went into space someone gave you a balloon. And it’s the most unnecessary present anyone can get because there’s absolutely no need for a balloon in space. And that’ll make you laugh.”

  Grandpa closes his eyes. Breathes in the boy’s hair.

  “That’s the best present I’ve never been given.”
― Fredrik Backman, And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer

“I'm bad at good-byes," says the boy.
Grandpa's lips reveal all his teeth when he smiles.
"We'll have plenty of chances to practice. You'll be good at it. Almost all grown adults walk around full of regret over a good-bye they wish they'd been able to go back and say better. Our good-bye doesn't have to be like that, you'll be able to keep redoing it until it's perfect. And once it's perfect, that's when your feet will touch the ground and I'll be in space, and there won't be anything to be afraid of.”
― Fredrik Backman, And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer

“Mr. Anderson thinks that everything inside of him is worthless and embarrassing. Isn't that right, Todd? And that's your worse fear.”
― Tom Schulman, Dead Poets Society

“Our teacher made us write a story about what we want to be when we're big," Noah tells him.
"What did you write?"
"I wrote that I wanted to concentrate on being little first."
"That's a very good answer."
"Isn't it? I would rather be old than a grown-up. All grown-ups are angry, it's just children and old people who laugh."
"Did you write that?"
"Yes."
"What did your teacher say?"
"She said I hadn't understood the task."
"And what did you say?"
"I said she hadn't understood my answer.”
― Fredrik Backman, And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer