Maria

“I didn't think I would ever find a man, other than my father, who truly understood me. Who would see the way I look at the world, what reading means to me, how I wonder about everything. Someone who would see the best version of me, and make me believe I could be that person." Sylvie blinked several times, as if trying to hold back tears. Her hands were fists at her sides. "I thought that type of love was a fairy tale. I thought that kind of man didn't exist. Which meant I got to feel good about the fact that I had a dream and yet could be safe with my sisters.”
― Ann Napolitano, Hello Beautiful

“You are a rose bush left out in the wild, scraping for survival. You have fought for everything you have, and you thrive on the struggle. You’re called to it. The harder things are, the better you get.”
― Denise Grover Swank, Thirty-Five and a Half Conspiracies

“In high school, I was a popular kid, but it was a tireless campaign on my part. Always striving to be in the right place, to make people laugh, to be a good dancer, to throw the best parties, to drink more, to smoke everything being passed around, to drop acid, to befriend the beautiful girls so that I might be mistaken for a ladies’ man, to keep my grades up, to say yes to everyone, always. I don’t know if I was aware of how hard I was trying, but somewhere in me, I sensed that if I ever stopped performing, even for a moment, the audience would leave; so, in a way, I left first. It never occurred to me that they’d remained in their seats.”
― Alejandro Varela, The Town of Babylon

“As I dance with my crew, I dance for my blessings. I dance with intention. I dance with hope and purpose in mind. The next time my first day looks like it’s destined for doom, I will remind myself that I am not cursed; I am experiencing all the flavors and colors of this life. And if I focus on the gloomy side of things, I’ll never notice the brighter moments. Even if I encounter a place where evil resides, I will know that good lies under that same roof.”
― Debbie Rigaud, A Girl's Guide to Love & Magic