Ayesha

“I don’t have hopes,” Mad explained, studying the address. “I have faith.” He looked at her in surprise. “Well, that’s a funny word to hear coming from you.” “How come?” “Because,” he said, “well, you know. Religion is based on faith.” “But you realize,” she said carefully, as if not to embarrass him further, “that faith isn’t based on religion. Right?”
― Bonnie Garmus, Lessons in Chemistry

“I always believed I was a bad friend. I couldn’t nourish friendships. I couldn’t give my all to others. I couldn’t live up to their expectations. It ended up in a falling out. A fight. A break. Followed by distance. Stares. Glares. I learned that I didn’t need to spend my energy nourishing friendships that didn’t nourish me back. I learned that I didn’t need to give my all to others that didn’t give their all to me back. I learned that I didn’t need to live up to their expectations when they didn’t live up to mine. I slowly became my own best friend. It took becoming my own best friend for me to realize that I am a good friend. It just took the right person to make me believe that.”
― Julia Reesor, Sea Glass Secrets

“Whenever people had asked me which bear was my favorite, I had dithered and hedged. "I like them all equally," I would say, diplomatically. Sun bears were cute with lolling tongues. Grizzlies were emblematic of the American wilderness. And who could pass up the panda? What a jolly fellow. That, however, was all a lie. My favorite bear was unequivocally the polar bear.”
― Gloria Dickie, Eight Bears: Mythic Past and Imperiled Future

“How nice it is to be us, Big Bear thought. Two brown bears in two fine boats sailing on a blue, blue lake.
And he was happy.”
― Eve Bunting, Big Bear's Big Boat