Sarah Rayner > Quotes

“She has no regrets; she knows now he could never have made her happy, even though he has, apparently, joined AA, is doing better. But sobriety is his journey, not hers; he needs to do it for himself, alone. Still, she misses him hugely, doesn't feel ready for another relationship yet. But as time passes, she hopes that she might be, eventually, with someone new, easier, kinder.”
― Sarah Rayner, One Moment, One Morning

“That's the tragedy of falling in love; it brings with it the potential for loss.”
― Sarah Rayner, One Moment, One Morning

“What Karen wants to do - needs to do - is cry, but she can't. Here, alone, when she could howl, beat the sofa cushions, scream; now, somehow, she is unable. It's for fear that if she gives in to it, she'll lose all sense of who she is. She is afraid that if she falls apart in private, then she'll fall apart completely. That if she crumbles, like a house in an earthquake, she will disappear down some deep, dark crevasse, and never be able to pull herself out and put herself back together again.”
― Sarah Rayner, One Moment, One Morning

“Her stomach lurches. She fancies him sooo much - she is powerless to resist. How can she possibly? She knows it's wrong: he has a girlfriend - he lives with her, for goodness' sake - and what they're doing is unfair, cruel. She is not sure what he's said to his girlfriend to wangle a night away and she doesn't want to know. She would hate it if it was done to her - she has never seen herself as the kind of girl who would steal another woman's man. She and Anna have always been most disapproving about women who do that, arguing through college and beyond that there are plenty of available men out there, that it is quite unnecessary to go for those already spoken for. But she has liked Simon since day one, and he is the one who initiated this whole thing. He is the one who blew her away with a clandestine kiss just a week ago, who asked if he could come back and stay at hers afterwards; he is the one who doubtless made unconvincing excuses when he returned home the next day. And it only took that single night to open this Pandora's box of mutual passion, being together was far, far better than it should have been, were it only a one-night stand. Karen senses that he really likes her.”
― Sarah Rayner, One Moment, One Morning

“Wrestling through her introspection has coloured  her views of life, people and relationships. And working it out, with all the excitement, pain and fear that went with it, has given her a strong sense of herself. She knows who she is because of it. Not only that: it has given her a strong bond to those who are also, in different ways and for different reasons, disconnected from society. ironically, she is connected to the Aaron's and Kyra's of this world by the fact that they are each of them disconnected.”
― Sarah Rayner, One Moment, One Morning

“She watches Simon's profile as he drives, concentrating, but he keeps turning to her, and every time he does so, he is smiling. He doesn't seem to care, and she wonders if, actually, he wants to be caught. In some ways she does, because she knows, already, albeit crazily swiftly, that she wants more of this man, that once was never, ever going to be enough.”
― Sarah Rayner, One Moment, One Morning

“Anna seems warmer every time I meet her, thinks Lou. Funny, that. Some people, who seem friendly on first impression, turn out to be disappointingly superficial, whereas the aloof ones, like Anna, emerge as affectionate and loyal.”
― Sarah Rayner, One Moment, One Morning

“When merely meeting someone is ridden with angst and open to misinterpretation, is it any wonder she is so hopeless at relationships.”
― Sarah Rayner, One Moment, One Morning

“Anna has a stab of jealousy - she is thrilled for them, yet can't help but envy their happiness. Don't be ungracious, she tells herself. It is not your time; it is theirs. Lou is so lovely; she deserves to be happy.”
― Sarah Rayner, One Moment, One Morning

“She has had a couple of lovers before, but honest to God, no one has ever felt as good, as perfect a fit, as him.”
― Sarah Rayner, One Moment, One Morning

“Isn't she doing this too? Connecting and disconnecting. Facing grief then turning from it. One minute she is caught up in minutiae. Will her feet get sore standing in heels at the church? Have they made enough food? Will the kitten get scared by dozens of strangers in the house? Should she shut him in a room upstairs? The next moment she is weeping uncontrollably, taken over by pain so profound she can barely move. Then there was the salad bowl incident; her own fury scared her. But maybe these are different ways of dealing with events for all of them. Molly and Luke are infantile echos of her, their emotions paired down, their reactions simpler but similar. For if they have difficulty taking in what has happened, then so too does she. Why is she dressing up, for instance? Why can't she wear clothes to reflect the fact that she is at her lowest end? A tracksuit, a jumper full of holes, dirty jeans? Why can't she leave her hair a mess, her face unmade up? The crazed and grieving Karen doesn't care about her appearance. Yet she must go through with this charade, polish herself and her children to perfection. She, in particular, must hold it together. Oh, she can cry, yes, that's allowed. People expect that. They will sympathize. But what about screaming, howling, and hurling plates like she did yesterday? She imagines the shocked faces as she shouts and swears and smashes everything. But she is so angry, surely others must feel the same. Maybe a plate throwing ceremony would be a more fitting ritual than church, then everyone could have a go...smashing crockery up against the back garden wall.”
― Sarah Rayner, One Moment, One Morning

“Give her a weak man and she'll inadvertently run rings around him. He simply wasn't strong enough for her.”
― Sarah Rayner, One Moment, One Morning

“Anyway, who’d ever want to be totally normal? Imagine having no quirks or idiosyncrasies. It’s what makes us us.”
― Sarah Rayner, The Two Week Wait: A Novel

“While Karen loved Simon for all his faults, Anna doesn't love Steve for his. She can't and never will. How can she, when Steve's worst fault leads to this?”
― Sarah Rayner, One Moment, One Morning

“Isn't it funny? We always think everyone else is so sorted, and once you get to know them better, you often find that they're pretty vulnerable, too.”
― Sarah Rayner, Other Half

“I couldn't imagine it, living a pristine life in this big Georgian house and everything. It seemed heinous. So I left him. I thought I'd go mad, if I stayed.”
― Sarah Rayner, One Moment, One Morning

“Be kind to yourself. Think positively about your abilities. No one can be perfect at everything, all the time. Being ‘good enough’ is plenty.”
― Sarah Rayner, Making Friends with Anxiety

“Death must be so beautiful. To lie in the soft brown earth, with the grasses waving above one's head, and listen to silence. To have no yesterday, and no tomorrow. To forget time, to forget life, to be at peace.’ Oscar Wilde”
― Sarah Rayner, Making Peace with Depression: A warm, supportive little book to reduce distress and lift low mood

“Don’t believe everything you think.”
― Sarah Rayner, Making Friends with Anxiety

“It annoys me when people say “Even if you’re old, you can be young at heart!” Hiding inside this well-meaning phrase is a deep cultural assumption that old is bad and young is good. What’s wrong with being old at heart, I’d like to know? Wouldn’t you like to be loved by people whose hearts have practised loving for a long time?’ says Susan Ichi Su Moon”
― Sarah Rayner, Making Friends with the Menopause: A clear and comforting guide to support you as your body changes. Updated edition reflecting the new 'NICE' guidelines ... you through life’s biggest challenges.)

“When we follow their example and let go of ruminating on the past and worrying about the future and focus on the here and now, anxiety lessens.”
― Sarah Rayner, Making Friends with Anxiety