From Alan Lightman's intricate 1993 novel Einstein's Dreams; set in Berne in 1905: With infinite life comes an infinite list of relatives. Grandparents never die, nor do great-grandparents, great-aunts...and so on, back through the generations, all alive and offering advice. Sons never escape from the shadows of their fathers. Nor do daughters of their mothers. No one ever comes into his own...Such is the cost of immortality. No person is whole. No person is free.

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"It's surprising to me how many of my friends send Christmas cards, or holiday cards, including my atheist and secular friends."

- Christopher Hitchens

Awareness

"Owners of dogs will have noticed that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they will think you are God. Whereas owners of cats are compelled to realize that, if you provide them with food and water and affection, they draw the conclusion that they are God."

- Christopher Hitchens

Awareness

"The concept of loneliness and exile and self-sufficiency continually bucks me up."

- Christopher Hitchens

Personal Growth

"A good day is one where I can not just read a book, but write a review of it. Maybe today I'll be able to do that."

- Christopher Hitchens

Personal Growth

"The fact is: It’s true what they say about the United States. It is a land of opportunity. It is too various to get bored with it."

- Christopher Hitchens

Aspirations

More Family Quotes

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"Love your family, work super hard, live your passion."

- Gary Vaynerchuk

Family

"Christmas is a time for family, for being together, for creating memories that last a lifetime."

Family

"The best gift of all is the gift of family."

Family

"At Christmas, all roads lead home."

- Marjorie Holmes

Family

"Family is what makes this season so special."

Family