Shirley

“We are all in an ocean," he said. "Every one of us. Some of us are barely swimming, some of us are drowning, and there are some of us still who are being tossed in waves and dashed upon the rocks. And often we feel that we won't survive. Maybe that ocean is school, and we're struggling to get decent grades, or to fit in, or maybe we're just trying to survive the hurtful words and actions of people who don't understand their cruelty. But one thing is certain—something that Hemingway is trying to teach us through Santiago—we, as human beings, are made to transcend. I believe that there is something deep down inside of us that resonates with the universe. A purpose. And once we learn what the purpose is"—Spinelli looked directly at me—"even the whole ocean cannot stop us.”
― Preston Norton, Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe

“When someone's been gone a long time, at first you save up all the things you want to tell them. You try to keep track of everything in your head. But it's like trying to hold on to a fistful of sand: all the little bits slip out of your hands, and then you're just clutching air and grit.”
― Jenny Han, To All the Boys I've Loved Before

“Cycles exist because they are excruciating to break. It takes an astronomical amount of pain and courage to disrupt a familiar pattern. Sometimes it seems easier to just keep running in the same familiar circles, rather than facing the fear of jumping and possibly not landing on your feet.

My mother went through it.

I went through it.

I'll be damned if I allow my daughter to go through it.

I kiss her on the forehead and make her a promise. "It stops here. With me and you. It ends with us.”
― Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us

“I am the rock against which the surf crashes.”
― Sarah J. Maas, A ​Court of Silver Flames