Wendy Bower

“faulty parenting trap I’d set: Do everything. Ask for nothing. I kissed Kevin, silently apologizing for not introducing her.”
― Ann Garvin, There's No Coming Back from This

“* And, just as it only takes a moment to die, it only takes a moment to live. You just close your eyes and let every futile fear slip away. And then, in this new state, free from fear, you ask yourself: who am I? If I could live without doubt what would I do? If I could be kind without the fear of being fucked over? If I could love without fear of being hurt? If I could taste the sweetness of today without thinking of how I will miss that taste tomorrow? If I could not fear the passing of time and the people it will steal? Yes. What would I do? Who would I care for? What battle would I fight? Which paths would I step down? What joys would I allow myself? What internal mysteries would I solve? How, in short, would I live?”
― Matt Haig, How to Stop Time

“There was so much to learn, and it occurred to me that the largest life lesson of all had to be answering the question of how much to give, how much to keep. How much do you matter versus how much do others count when trying to be a mother, friend, or good person? My mother knew to take care of herself first, and I’d learned the opposite in reaction. I couldn’t fault her anymore. I didn’t agree with her, but I got it.”
― Ann Garvin, There's No Coming Back from This