My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person: he believed in me.

More from Jim Valvano

• It won’t be an easy journey. It’ll be long, and arduous. But I promise you one thing: on the memory of those lying here before you, we shall find it, and Earth shall become our new home. So say we all!
• Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?
• A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
• Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.
• Life is not the amount of breaths you take, it’s the moments that take your breath away.
• All of us do not have equal talent, but all of us should have an equal opportunity to develop our talents.