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These Tangled Vines QUOTES

These Tangled Vines QUOTES

1 " And though I tried to let go of certain things and live without regret, I was beginning to accept that regret would always be a part of my life. I was only human, after all, and as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t escape it. What I decided was that I would not let it consume or define me. For the most part, I was at peace with how my life had unfolded, and I would embrace my regret—and my ability to work at forgiveness—as evidence of my humanity. I would wake up each morning and count my blessings. "

― Julianne MacLean , These Tangled Vines

2 " Of course I’m going to forgive you. How can I not? Life is rough for everyone, and it’s complicated. It’s full of hairpin turns we don’t see coming. You know that better than anyone. You suffered a terrible trauma. And we all make mistakes. Mom certainly wasn’t perfect. She left a fair bit of destruction in her path.” “Yes, but she gave me you.” “And she gave me you. "

― Julianne MacLean , These Tangled Vines

3 " Total forgiveness was not going to be easy. This much I knew. It was going to take some effort, but it was better than the alternative, which would leave me hating my father and resenting him. I couldn’t live like that. "

― Julianne MacLean , These Tangled Vines

4 " Anton stood up and crossed the room to sit beside her on the sofa. “I’ve often thought that a marriage is like a covered wagon, full of the stuff of life. The man and the woman are the two workhorses who pull it. Eventually, it gets heavy. There are children in the wagon, a home that needs to be maintained, feelings that need to be protected and nurtured when life throws curveballs. It works when both partners pull together, but the journey can’t continue for long if one partner unbuckles the straps and decides to ride in the wagon, because it’s easier, and because he knows his partner will keep pulling no matter what. Sometimes it can’t be helped. If someone gets sick or is suffering in some other way . . . physically or emotionally or financially . . . when that happens, the other person needs to bear more of the load, but generally, when both partners are capable, husband and wife should be a team, pulling together, or at least taking equal turns. "

― Julianne MacLean , These Tangled Vines

5 " Connor and Sloane,” Marco replied. “Connor is the younger one. He’s here on his own. Sloane is here with her two children, but her husband stayed behind in America.” I tried to process this. Connor and Sloane would be my half brother and sister. "

― Julianne MacLean , These Tangled Vines

6 " I think all you can do is accept the past for what it was and be thankful for where you are today. Think "

― Julianne MacLean , These Tangled Vines

7 " Total forgiveness was not going to be easy. This much I knew. It was going to take some effort, but it was better than the alternative, which would leave me hating my father and resenting him. I couldn’t live like that. I didn’t want to feel anger in my thoughts for the rest of my life. I wanted to wake up in the morning and feel blissful at the sight of the sunrise. I wanted to feel grateful for the "

― Julianne MacLean , These Tangled Vines

8 " But isn’t that what life is about? Trying new things? Finding out what you love doing? Then taking a deep dive into it? "

― Julianne MacLean , These Tangled Vines

9 " Why do we always wait for traditional special occasions to enjoy good things? Maybe we just need to create our own special occasions. "

― Julianne MacLean , These Tangled Vines

10 " Anton’s daughter from "

― Julianne MacLean , These Tangled Vines

11 " Every night with good friends is a special occasion. "

― Julianne MacLean , These Tangled Vines

12 " Montepulciano, "

― Julianne MacLean , These Tangled Vines

13 " once read that people who are going through cancer treatment sometimes feel like the disease was a gift, no matter the outcome, whether they beat it or not, because they feel like their spirits are awakened. "

― Julianne MacLean , These Tangled Vines

14 " I don’t know what I would do if they let me down like that. If they didn’t want to see me. I won’t do that to Alan, no matter how angry I am with him. I’ll make sure they continue to have a relationship with him, and they can judge him for themselves as they get older. "

― Julianne MacLean , These Tangled Vines

15 " And though it’s important to look forward, not back,” Fiona added, “I also think it’s important to reflect on past mistakes and learn from them. It helps you move forward in the right direction. "

― Julianne MacLean , These Tangled Vines

16 " I realized in that moment that I was going to have to find a way to accept how my life had played out and let go of the frustration and regret about not meeting Anton. This was my reality going forward. What good could come from grappling forever with “could have beens”? Every life was full of “could have beens.” The best we could do was make the most of what was and what had been. "

― Julianne MacLean , These Tangled Vines

17 " This was my reality going forward. What good could come from grappling forever with “could have beens”? Every life was full of “could have beens.” The best we could do was make the most of what was and what had been. "

― Julianne MacLean , These Tangled Vines

18 " I’ve often thought that a marriage is like a covered wagon, full of the stuff of life. The man and the woman are the two workhorses who pull it. Eventually, it gets heavy. There are children in the wagon, a home that needs to be maintained, feelings that need to be protected and nurtured when life throws curveballs. It works when both partners pull together, but the journey can’t continue for long if one partner unbuckles the straps and decides to ride in the wagon, because it’s easier, and because he knows his partner will keep pulling no matter what. "

― Julianne MacLean , These Tangled Vines

19 " I would embrace my regret—and my ability to work at forgiveness—as evidence of my humanity. I would wake up each morning and count my blessings. "

― Julianne MacLean , These Tangled Vines

20 " day. It was a painful drive back to Montepulciano "

― Julianne MacLean , These Tangled Vines