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A Summer in the Country QUOTES

A Summer in the Country QUOTES

1 " So much time and energy, so much love and learning had gone into those long years of motherhood, and now, between a morning and a morning—or so it felt—they were over. It seemed that mothers of daughters had a more extended role but she knew that she was lucky to be allowed any part in her boys' lives and tried hard to be grateful and undemanding. It wasn't always easy, when she loved them so much, to practice detachment.... Odd that the last of the parenting skills should be the most painful: the final act of letting go. "

― Marcia Willett , A Summer in the Country

2 " Don't try to fight depression and fear with violent physical or mental exercise. But don't give into them either. Just think. Oh, here they are again, and look past them, as if you were looking over someone's shoulder at something beyond. Fix your mind on what's beyond.'

'But how do you do that?' Louise stared at her in perplexity, longing for some kind of formula, but confused and pessimistic. 'How can you see past something so . . . so huge?'

'You have to practise it. You mustn't let them be important, you see, or you simply feed their power. Don't pretend they're not there by flinging yourself into some manic busyness, they'll simply reappear when you're exhausted, but just look past them as you might look past a tall person sitting in front of you at the theatre. You know he's there but he doesn't prevent you from watching the action. Have something positive to look at—your next possible achievement, for instance, or something as simple as a cup of coffee. Something cheerful but attainable. "

― Marcia Willett , A Summer in the Country

3 " We serve others as much by our weaknesses as by our strengths. The only difficult is that it takes humility and courage to be able to live by it. "

― Marcia Willett , A Summer in the Country