Finding Chika: A Little Girl, an Earthquake, and the Making of a Family

by Mitch Albom

There are many kinds of selfishness in this world, but the most selfish is hoarding time, because none of us know how much we have, and it is an affront to God to assume there will be more.

In a way, I was sort of relieved when Chika argued with us, when she showed us her fight, as I knew she would need fight to get through this. So, OK, I figured. Argue if need be. Yell and scream. Do not go gently.

“Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work.”

“Because,” he said, “as terrible as I felt, I took comfort in having something I could cry to, a power to whom I could shout, ‘Why?’ It is still better than having nothing to turn to at all.”