Dear Pat,
You came upon me carving some kind of little figure out of wood and you said, ‘Why don’t you make something for me?’
I asked you what you wanted, and you said ‘A box.’
‘What for?’
‘To put things in.’
‘What things?’
‘Whatever you have.’
Well, here’s your box. Nearly everything I have is in it, and it’s not full. Pain and excitement are in it, and feeling good or bad and evil thoughts and good thoughts-the pleasure of design and some despair and the indescribable joy of creation.
And on top of these are all the gratitude and love I have for you.
And still the box is not full.
John”
-From East of Eden by John Steinbeck
