Rachel Linden > Quotes

“The place you are to occupy in the universe is the space where your greatest passion meets the world's great pain.”
― Rachel Linden, The Enlightenment of Bees

“Choosing to let a good thing go in order to make room for something better is harder than I anticipated. And scary. So very scary.”
― Rachel Linden, The Enlightenment of Bees

“The memories are always with us, but sometimes we can ease the way for others. That is what we must do, use our pain to build understanding and empathy, not to build walls. Then it is transformed into a thing of beauty, then our suffering has value.”
― Rachel Linden, The Enlightenment of Bees

“We stand or fall on the strength of our commitment, (and I suddenly see that I am alone in this love.)”
― Rachel Linden, The Enlightenment of Bees

“Happiness is fleeting, fickle, often based on our circumstances....If you chase happiness, you will more often than not end up disappointed by the very nature of life. Life is hard, brutal at times, and often unfair. But following your bliss, that's entirely different. It means facing your present reality with honesty and courage and, in the midst of it all, continuing to pursue each spark of joy, even if it is a tiny pinpoint in the darkness of your life. Do not give up. Continue to look for the light in your life--it is always present somewhere, some small thing to be grateful for, something to celebrate, a way to give joy to others, a new way to grow. Move toward the light in life, seek it out no matter what. This is the essence of what it means to follow your bliss. You must be honest. Pay attention. Seek joy.

[GERTRUDE LUND, to her great-niece Lolly Blanchard]”
― Rachel Linden, The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie

“Some things aren’t meant to be mended,” she said finally, gently. “Sometimes it’s in the breaking that the light can finally shine through.”
― Rachel Linden, The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie

“Sometimes things don't work out the way we hoped, despite our best intentions. And when they go pear-shaped, you have to let them. You can't keep holding on, trying to redo the past and stop the bad things from happening. They happened, and you can't change that. You can't keep holding on to the vision of the future you imagined you'd have, the way you thought things would turn out. You have to let the present be what it is---broken, flawed, painful, but real.”
― Rachel Linden, The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie

“Remember, Mia, your place in this world is the space where your greatest passion meets the world’s great pain,” she says firmly. “Go now and find that place.”
― Rachel Linden, The Enlightenment of Bees

“Mom's secret recipe used Meyer lemons for a sweeter, richer flavor. That was one of her tricks. That and European butter. With its higher fat content than American butter, it made a flakier crust.
"Lolly, what are the three secret ingredients that make this the best lemon meringue pie in the world?" She'd drilled me that last night before she died, demanding I recite every ingredient, every step, until she was satisfied I had it down pat.
"The three ingredients are Meyer lemons, European butter, and a leaf of lemon balm boiled into the syrup every time," I'd dutifully recited in her hospital room, feeling the weight of grief, of responsibility rest heavier on my shoulders with every word.
Lemon balm was an unorthodox choice for pie, but Mom had loved cooking with edible flowers and herbs. She'd taught me everything I knew about them. I reached for the little lemon balm potted plant growing on the windowsill over the sink and carefully pinched off a leaf.
"In the language of flowers, lemon balm means sympathy or good cheer," she'd explained once. "So every bite of this pie can help brighten someone's day."
I crushed the leaf of lemon balm between my fingers and inhaled the scent, hoping it would work on me. No such luck. I dropped the leaf into the pot and stirred. Every time I made these pies I felt her presence. She had loved lemons---their sharp, fresh scent and cheerful hue. She would slice a lemon in half and sniff deeply, happily.
"See, Lolly," she'd say. "Lemons brighten every day. They are a touch of kitchen magic, and we all need a little magic in our lives.”
― Rachel Linden, The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie

“A lemon flower stands for clarity, happiness, and hope," I told him, still feeling confused. "That's what my mom always said."
Rory studied the necklace and then me. "Clarity, happiness, and hope, huh?" His gaze was warm on my face. "Can I buy it for you?" He turned to the artist and pulled out his wallet.
"You don't have to---" I protested, but he was already handing over the cash.
"Please? I want to. Every time you wear it, you can be reminded to never give up hope, to seek happiness, and to remember that life is full of second chances.”
― Rachel Linden, The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie

“Call it magic, call it a deep connection to the earth. It can be labeled many things, but the fact is that every woman in the Stevens line has had some special ability. Your great-grandmother, my grandma Emma, could bake pies that inspired people to tell the truth. One bite of her apple streusel crumb pie and a man would confess to an affair. A forkful of her peach cobbler and feuding siblings would apologize for their mistakes and make up. I'm told her cherry pie was especially popular for making shy beaus finally declare their true love and propose to their sweethearts.”
― Rachel Linden, Recipe for a Charmed Life

“She reached up and rubbed the four-leaf clover charm, saying a quick prayer for faith, hope, love, and luck. Faith that everything would turn out, hope that what was lost could be restored, gratitude that she had found the love of the woman who had born her, and at the end she tacked on a heartfelt request for a little bit of luck to smooth out these next uncertain, scary steps.”
― Rachel Linden, Recipe for a Charmed Life

“I rolled my eyes at him and pulled the sweatshirt over my head, adjusting the deep sweetheart neckline of my dress. I'd secretly and specifically purchased the gorgeous cherry-red vintage cocktail dress for this party. I had found a pair of black cat-eye glasses at a retro clothing store near Pike Place Market to go with the dress, and the combination made me feel confident and sophisticated.
"Don't look for a minute," I instructed, shimmying out of my jeans and smoothing the hemline down. The dress nipped in at the waist and flared out in a high hemline that showed off my legs. "Okay, I'm good."
Rory gave me a sideways glance and did a double take. "Wow." He pulled up to a stop sign and turned, taking me in head to toe. "You look...wow." He shook his head, seemingly at a loss for words. I felt a flush of triumph. I'd never seen him look at me like that, admiration mixed with astonishment. He seemed genuinely stunned.
I slicked on some red lipstick and examined my reflection in the tiny square of Rory's passenger mirror, aware of his eyes on me. I looked glamorous, surprisingly sexy. Like a movie starlet from the 1950s, a bombshell ingenue. I sat back, feeling almost giddy with triumph. I'd worn the dress for only one person. And he had finally noticed me.”
― Rachel Linden, The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie

“Life doesn't work that way. If you cling so tight to something that's already broken, to a life and a dream that can never come true, you don't have space in your life for anything else, for the good and real plan Bs”
― Rachel Linden, The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie

“I'm scared to let things go," I confessed. "What if everything falls apart, and I can't make anything good come from the broken pieces?"
A moment of silence. "You have to have faith, Lolly. It takes faith and courage to let things fall apart, not knowing what will happen after you do. But you are strong. You can do this. (pg 150)”
― Rachel Linden, The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie

“If there's anything I've learned in life so far it's this. Trying to change the past is pointless. We can only change our future by the choices we make today.”
― Rachel Linden, The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie

“There’s a kernel of truth in some of the most unlikely places.”
― Rachel Linden, The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie

“What if the most important thing in life is not feeling safe? What if it's to love something or someone enough that they're worth risking for?”
― Rachel Linden, The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake

“I sniff the batter, savoring the sweet, delicate aroma of the orange blossom extract and the unctuous aroma of good olive oil.
"You sure this is all there is to it?" I ask Nonna. "It just seems too simple."
"Simple can be just as good as complex," Nonna says serenely as she whips up a simple sugar and orange zest icing to pour over the cake when it's done. "Often is better. It doesn't need to twist you into knots. Often the best choice is the simple one. Simple is beautiful.”
― Rachel Linden, The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake

“Honey, it sounds like whatever you’re holding on to is probably already broken,” she said kindly, “and you’re just holding the pieces together and praying for some glue.” She paused, considering. “Life doesn’t work that way. If you cling so tight to something that’s already broken, to a life and dream that can never come true, you don’t have space in your life for anything else, for the good and real plan Bs.” She looked me in the eye and said firmly, “Sometimes, Lolly, you just have to let go.”
― Rachel Linden, The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie

“What did I want to wish for? I closed my eyes and thought of Aunt Gert and what she'd told me about finding her own way. I wanted that too, more than anything.
"Help me follow my bliss," I whispered, the words equal parts hope and prayer. "Show me how to seek joy and give joy to others. Show me what comes next.”
― Rachel Linden, The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie

“I was so tired of standing here week after week and having the exact same argument. It was grinding me down. I didn’t want this to be the sum total of my life: struggling to keep a floundering diner afloat, barely scraping by week after week, utterly stuck in a life that seemed smaller with each passing day. Something had to change.”
― Rachel Linden, The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie

“It felt like I was being handed the biggest gift in the world, the ability to choose.”
― Rachel Linden, The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie

“As she relaxed, she started to notice something happening to the ingredients beneath her fingers. As she touched them, poking and prodding, kneading and caressing, the sensations she used to feel when she cooked started to return. She could feel the icy gurgle of the salt water against weather-barren black rock as she tossed a handful of local mussels into a pot of butter and white wine. She chopped a foraged mushroom and inhaled the damp, loamy soil of the forest spicy with ferns and dripping with cool humidity. She grinned, buoyed by a wave of relief. At least for tonight, her Technicolor senses were in full swing. With a satisfied sigh of contentment, she spooned Star's honey over local goat cheese on rounds of sunflower seed crackers, hearing all around her the nectar-drunk buzzing of the bees. It felt like pure joy to handle the ingredients.”
― Rachel Linden, Recipe for a Charmed Life

“She always told me that lemons clarify things; they symbolize happiness and hope. But when she died, I stopped believing lemons were anything more than a chore, something sour to squeeze every morning for pie. How ironic that it's a lemon drop that's changing everything for me.”
― Rachel Linden, The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie

“The real recipe for a charmed life was simple. Not easy, but simple. To do the work that filled her with wonder and delight. To walk lightly through the world, giving generously to those around her. To love all in her care as best she could.”
― Rachel Linden, Recipe for a Charmed Life

“I’m scared to let things go,” I confessed. “What if everything falls apart and I can’t make anything good come from the broken pieces?” A moment of silence. “You have to have faith, Lolly. It takes faith and courage to let things fall apart, not knowing what will happen after you do.”
― Rachel Linden, The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie

“Do small things with great love,” was a favorite motto of Mother Teresa.”
― Rachel Linden, The Enlightenment of Bees

“In the section with edible flowers I stopped short, a bright yellow-and-purple pansy in my hands, hearing my mother's voice from long ago.
Pansies are the showgirls of the flower world, but they taste a little grassy, she'd confided to me once as we pulled the weeds in her herb and flower garden. I put a dozen pansies in my cart and moved on to carnations. Carnations are the candy of the flower world, but only the petals. The white base is bitter, she'd instructed, handing me one to try. In my young mind carnations had been in the same category as jelly beans and gumdrops. Treats to enjoy.
"Impatiens." I browsed the aisles of Swansons, reading signs aloud. "Marigolds."
Marigolds taste a little like citrus, and you can substitute them for saffron. My mother's face swam before my eyes, imparting her kitchen wisdom to little Lolly. It's a poor woman's saffron. Also insects hate them; they're a natural bug deterrent.
I placed a dozen yellow-and-orange marigolds into my cart along with a couple different varieties of lavender and some particularly gorgeous begonias I couldn't resist. I had a sudden flash of memory: my mother's hand in her floral gardening glove plucking a tuberous begonia blossom and popping it in her mouth before offering me one. I was four or five years old. It tasted crunchy and sour, a little like a lemon Sour Patch Kid. I liked the flavor and sneaked a begonia flower every time I was in the garden for the rest of the summer.”
― Rachel Linden, The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie

“A grown woman tasting a spoonful of Georgia's Mousse au Citron at a late afternoon lunch, then suddenly standing and announcing that she needed to reconcile with her estranged sister before it was too late. She'd hastened away, leaving her coat, one hundred euros to pay the bill, and the mostly uneaten mousse at the table. After devouring Georgia's beet and goat cheese tart one bitter winter evening, an American man with an engagement ring nestled on top of a slice of Georgia's cherry clafoutis looked across the table at his girlfriend and said later that he could suddenly see clearly that she was not the love of his life. He'd hastened back to the kitchen to remove the ring from the dessert where it was waiting to be served at the right moment. They left the restaurant with the ring in his pocket and his girlfriend in tears. There had been others. Many others, now that she thought of it. It had been a bit of a joke among the kitchen staff, that Georgia's dishes could cause more breakups and engagements and family feuds and reconciliations than the restaurant had ever seen. She'd never really put it all together before, but now that she thought of it...
"I think my cooking might give people clarity somehow," Georgia said in surprise.”
― Rachel Linden, Recipe for a Charmed Life