Lee > Lee's Quotes

“Perhaps the unattached, the unwanted, the unloved, could grow to give love as lushly as anyone else.”
― Vanessa Diffenbaugh, The Language of Flowers

“Common thistle is everywhere,” she said. “Which is perhaps why human beings are so relentlessly unkind to one another.”
― Vanessa Diffenbaugh, The Language of Flowers

“In that moment, we were the same, each of us destroyed by our limited understanding of reality.”
― Vanessa Diffenbaugh, The Language of Flowers

“Hate can be passionate or disengaged; it can come from dislike but also from fear.”
― Vanessa Diffenbaugh, The Language of Flowers

“Over time, we would learn each other and I would learn to love her like a mother loves a daughter, imperfectly and without roots.”
― Vanessa Diffenbaugh, The Language of Flowers

“This time, there was no escape, I could not turn away, could not leave without accepting what I had done. There was only one way to the other side, and that was through the pain.”
― Vanessa Diffenbaugh, The Language of Flowers

“I felt my true, unworthy self to be far away from his clutching grasp, hidden from his admiring gaze.”
― Vanessa Diffenbaugh, The Language of Flowers

“Her eyes were open, taking in my tired face... Her face twitched into what looked like a squinty smile, and in her wordless expression I saw gratitude, and relief, and trust. I wanted, desperately, not to disappoint her.”
― Vanessa Diffenbaugh, The Language of Flowers

“We replanted. The loss was substantial, but it was overshadowed completely by losing you.”
― Vanessa Diffenbaugh, The Language of Flowers

“Hyacinth. Please forgive me.”
― Vanessa Diffenbaugh, The Language of Flowers

“The origin of our identity is love.”
― Vanessa Diffenbaugh, We Never Asked for Wings

“some believe lily of the valley brings a return of happiness.”
― Vanessa Diffenbaugh, The Language of Flowers

“Nothing you could do would make me send you away. Nothing.”
― Vanessa Diffenbaugh, The Language of Flowers

“This is it, you know," she said. "Your life starts here. No one to blame but yourself from here on out.”
― Vanessa Diffenbaugh, The Language of Flowers

“Cherry trees are in full bloom for two weeks at the most. The perfect, delicate flowers have come to represent the essence of life itself - shockingly beautiful and heartbreakingly fleeting.”
― Vanessa Diffenbaugh

“What do you love, and what do you know? And then, what are you curious about? Everyone in the class has a unique story, unique interests—and these are what should drive your inquiries. So if you’re having trouble figuring out your area of interest, spend some time thinking about what you know, and what you love, and what makes you different. The more different you are, the better.”
― Vanessa Diffenbaugh, We Never Asked for Wings

“Now, as an adult, my hopes for the future were simple: I wanted to be alone, and to be surrounded by flowers.”
― Vanessa Diffenbaugh

“Sitting under a tree, I studied my options. The fall flowers were in full bloom: verbena, goldenrod, chrysanthemum, and a late-blooming rose. The carefully tended city beds around the park held layers of textured evergreen but little color.
I set to work, considering height, density, texture, and layers of scent, removing touch-damaged petals with careful pinches. When I had finished, spiraling white mums emerged from a cushion of snow-colored verbena, and clusters of pale climbing roses circled and dripped over the edge of a tightly wrapped nosegay. I removed every thorn. The bouquet was white as a wedding and spoke of prayers, truth, and an unacquainted heart.”
― Vanessa Diffenbaugh, The Language of Flowers

“A garden to walk in and immensity to dream in--what more could he ask? A few flowers at his feet and above him the stars.”
― Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

“He said that we belonged together because he was born with a flower and I was born with a butterfly and that flowers and butterflies need each other for survival.”
― Gemma Malley, The Declaration