Grace Greene > Quotes

“even the Cooper women, strong-minded though they were, had to take a chance and give the good and bad the opportunity to fight it out, and have faith that the outcome would be the right one, no matter if it meant leaving oneself defenseless and leaving one’s loved ones to figure it out on their own.”
― Grace Greene, The Memory of Butterflies

“Sand might shift with wind or tide, but it didn’t really change, it just rearranged itself.”
― Grace Greene, Beach Towel

“It was hard to get ahead when your energy and time were dedicated to keeping a roof over your head and the utilities on.”
― Grace Greene, Beach Rental

“Any journey worth taking is worth finding value in each step.”
― Grace Greene, Wildflower Heart

“One thing she’d learned was that until you accept what must be done, rise above yourself, and move forward to do it with a whole heart, you were stuck. It wasn’t enough to go through the motions; you had to be that new person. Until then, you couldn’t go anywhere, not even back. You were doomed to be stuck, blind, mired in your own misery and self-doubt.”
― Grace Greene, Beach Winds

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” “Now, that’s beautiful.” “It’s Psalm 19. Verse 1.”
― Grace Greene, Beach Rental

“was just bad-tempered. I stayed”
― Grace Greene, Beach Winds

“Life is hard. Living it can be overwhelming. It’s a struggle to get through each day. And then the day comes when it gets better and you see the value of today—of living today instead of focusing your hopes on what’s to come. When a good day lived in its proper moment becomes infinitely more valuable than promises of a distant future.”
― Grace Greene, Beach Heart

“the kitchen window. The heavy”
― Grace Greene, Leaving Cub Creek

“Earthbound landscapes changed depending upon where one was, but the sky spoke to eternity.”
― Grace Greene, A Barefoot Tide

“My heart warmed. Life wasn’t just about genetics and birth and loss. But that’s where my ability to express it ran out. Verbalizing the connectedness I felt, of molecules intermixing and creating something new and beautiful, was beyond my ability to explain even all these years later.”
― Grace Greene, The Memory of Butterflies

“Because whatever hurts the child also hurts the parent. And no one can hurt a parent like his or her child.”
― Grace Greene, The Happiness In Between

“Random or planned? We never really know, do we? We just do our best to dance to the tune that life plays for us.”
― Grace Greene, Beach Heart

“Gifts came in many ways and forms. Some were held close, some shared, but all were to be cherished.”
― Grace Greene, Beach Christmas

“controlled the shoes and clothing, Laurel”
― Grace Greene, Beach Winds

“It was amazingly quiet, as if the world held its breath, watching the last light of day vanish.”
― Grace Greene, A Barefoot Tide

“which, I found a tent stake in the shed. I thought maybe I’d hammer it into the ground under the oak for Honey’s leash . . .” “Happy to assist.” Sandra’s phone rang. It was Aunt Barbara. Sandra put aside her book and answered. Barbara said, “How is she? The vet’s office said she was doing well when you picked her up. I’ll bet being home has fixed her up the rest of the way.” “She’s quiet but relaxed,” Sandra assured her. “As the doctor ordered. He wants her to rest while she gets her strength back. She is delighted to be home. She misses you, but we are getting along fine. As a matter of fact, we’re sitting here together, and her chin is on my leg.” “Can you put the phone to her ear so I can speak to her?” “Of course.” Sandra felt pretty silly about it, and Honey”
― Grace Greene, The Happiness In Between

“Make the decision to rejoice when things are happy, be patient when things are bad, and find your answers in prayer.”
― Grace Greene, Beach Winds

“That the ocean is. IS. It didn't think, it didn't care. It simply existed in a mindless state, performing to the laws of nature.”
― Grace Greene, Beach Three: Beach Rental / Beach Towel / Beach Winds

“Some moments marked our lives, like rings on a tree. They betrayed our history—parts of our history that marked us permanently. Those marks might fade over time but would never go away entirely.”
― Grace Greene, Wildflower Heart

“Make the decision to rejoice when things are happy, be patient when things are bad, and find your answers in prayer. You’ll be amazed at how different the world will look to you, it will even feel different, when you find that peace within yourself.”
― Grace Greene, Beach Winds

“Last year,” she said. “That was the most important year. We just didn’t know it.” She creased her napkin. “You never know which year will be the most important, not in advance. Only in retrospect. Only after you know what you’ve lost.”
― Grace Greene

“Human frailty is baggage we carry with us for the length of our lives. The baggage gets fuller and heavier as the years pass.”
― Grace Greene, A Barefoot Tide

“Ralph Waldo Emerson in college and had read many of his essays and poems. A phrase of his, long forgotten, returned to me: “Earth laughs in flowers.”
― Grace Greene, Wildflower Heart

“Given time and purpose, people are resilient. It’s faith that gets us through the bad times.”
― Grace Greene, Beach Rental

“appreciate the joy to be found in ordinary tasks and ways, not just possessions and big events.”
― Grace Greene, Beach Heart

“Life is what you make of it. You can spend your time wishing for what isn’t, or find the good in what you have.”
― Grace Greene, Beach Winds

“Dealing with other people was often a crap shoot. Ultimately, you had to do what you had to do—what your conscience could live with.”
― Grace Greene, Beach Rental

“Do new stuff like you mean it, and most folks will never know you were embarrassed or afraid.”
― Grace Greene, A Barefoot Tide

“herbs and vegetables—good things—started life in the mud. Why should people be different?”
― Grace Greene, The Memory of Butterflies