Laura

“I can hear my aunt's voice, telling me that if my security depends on a man's words or action, I've lost sight of my power.”
― Terese Marie Mailhot, Heart Berries

“deny me bread, air, light, spring, but never your laughter for I would die.”
― Pablo Neruda, Love Poems

“I think self-esteem is a white invention to further separate one person from another. It asks people to assess their values and implies people have worth. It seems like identity capitalism.”
― Terese Marie Mailhot, Heart Berries: A Memoir

“In white culture, forgiveness is synonymous with letting go. In my culture, I believe we carry pain until we can reconcile with it through ceremony. Pain is not framed like a problem with a solution. I don’t even know that white people see transcendence the way we do. I’m not sure that their dichotomies apply to me.”
― Terese Marie Mailhot, Heart Berries