“If she complains she’s exhausted, she doesn’t need a lecture about, ‘How they’re only little once.’ If you see a mother giving her kid some juice, don’t assume she’s beer bonging those kids with red cordial every day. It’s probably a treat. Sit down with your judgement.”
“I can count on two hands the number of times I’ve gotten flowers, but I’ve lost count of how many days my husband’s made my coffee before his own. He blushes when I compliment him, grins if I wear a new dress. Even all these years later, I can still turn his head. The gifts he gives me aren’t laced with diamonds, but I feel rich. There’s probably someone doing their best to pour love into your empty cup. And if you blink, you’ll miss it.”
“My dream of having a forever family was coming to an end. I lost hope that I’d be adopted because I had aged out of the system, and I was fearful I’d have to do life alone. ‘We would adopt you!’ Tears flowed down my face. You’ll never be too old to need parents.”
“I watched as another widow buried her husband. My heart ached for her. When I looked at her, I could see a reflection of myself. Unsteady and unsure. Overwhelmed. And so very afraid. It took my breath away. I couldn’t wait for it all to be over. They don’t tell you just how heavy it is.”
“Each patient gets a blue and a pink hat. She pulled out a blue one to hand to me. ‘It’s strange. There weren’t any pink ones in there. I don’t know if you believe in signs, but there’s no way the baby you’re carrying is a girl. Absolutely no way!’ I’ve only carried 4 girls. To me, there was no way this baby could be a boy. I wanted nothing more than to give my little brother we adopted a brother.”
“I know why opposites attract. It’s so I don’t spend our entire budget on kid’s clothes and coffee runs. You see the good in situations even when I swear it’s not there. You’d work till retirement, I lobby for vacation. That brick of a flip phone you carry keeps me grounded. All the things that drive me crazy about you make us work.”
“If you’re sitting at the table where the topic of discussion is someone else’s shortcomings, mistakes, imperfections, flaws, or lawd the he said she said gossip, GIRL. GET A NEW TABLE. I assure you that when you leave your seat, you’re likely the next topic of conversation.”
“I let down my guard, slammed with the sudden realization he is gone. My daughters stood on the edge of the balcony and watched as the world ended, watched as their parents begged to trade places with their little brother. He slipped away from us, down a spiral staircase, and fell into the pool.”
“Keep being a nice person. But don’t get hurt repeatedly and believe there’s nothing you can do about it. You’ll regret a lot of things in life, but I assure you, responding to someone with kindness, grace and love will never be one of them. Also, you’ll sleep an awful lot better at night.”
“You’ll study her face and worry. What if she gets lost in the hall? What if she doesn’t make a single friend? What if she doesn’t think about you at all? Does she know every sandwich, every pool day, every morning we snuggled in bed, I didn’t want to be anywhere else? It’ll feel like forever ’til you see her little face on that sidewalk, but I guarantee you, it’ll be smiling. She’s a different kid. She grew up today.”
