Abigail B

“Perhaps the biggest tragedy in our lives is that freedom is possible, yet we can pass our years trapped in the same old patterns.”
― Tara Brach, Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha

“It means holy. Or sacred, more like. Not that I’m holy. But this, all this, is holy.

Me, you, the damn street lights. That lady walking out of the bodega. That old dude crossing the street. The street, the mountains. All of it.”
― Amity Gaige, Heartwood

“Understanding and wisdom come from surviving the pitfalls of life, thriving in life, having deep and wide contact with other people. Out of your own moments of suffering, struggle, friendship, intimacy, and joy comes a compassionate awareness of how other people feel - their frailty, their confusion, and their courage. The wise are those who have lived full, varied lives, and reflected deeply on what they’ve been through.”
― David Brooks, How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen

“That real mother, the mother that you get, you've got to love her, there's no choice. She is the mother you needed. She gave you strength, either because she loved you well or because she loved you poorly. She gave you your mission.
It's the dream mother that you have to let go of. The one you pined for, the one you thought your decency promised you. She's the one you've got to bury.
She's a mirage. She'll only break your heart.”
― Amity Gaige, Heartwood