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1 " Just like the waves that keep rolling onto the beach, happiness may recede sometimes, but then it comes back. It always comes back. "
― Julianne MacLean , A Curve in the Road
2 " I needed to understand that maybe sometimes we go through life seeing only what we want to see. "
3 " Just make sure you ask for help when you need it and say yes when people offer. Like if a neighbor offers to mow your lawn, they want you to say yes. It makes them feel good to know they’re helping somehow. It’s just as much for them as it is for you. Let them help.” “I’m "
4 " Intuition is a funny thing. Sometimes it’s a gut feeling, and you look around and just know something bad is about to happen. Other times, it’s elusive, and later you find yourself looking back on certain events and wondering how in the world you missed all the signals. "
5 " Of course I’m happy. Why wouldn’t I be? My life is perfect. I have a job that I love, a beautiful home, a brilliant husband, and a son I’m incredibly proud of. "
6 " . Hours later, Alan and Bruce rode the bus home from school and played street hockey with some of the neighborhood kids until the sun went down. Then they cooked Kraft Dinner for themselves because Lester didn’t come home for supper. According to Alan, this wasn’t unusual. Whenever their mother was in the hospital for treatments, they looked after themselves and didn’t bother to ask their dad when he was coming home. He worked odd hours, and there were no expectations that he would be there for them as a father. "
7 " Two other firefighters do a 360 around the vehicle, shining flashlights everywhere. I watch the beams sweep across the dark ravine. One of them speaks on a walkie-talkie to someone above us. I can make out his words that the patient appears to be stable. "
8 " also know that I can’t protect him from pain. Pain is part of life, and we have to deal with it when it comes. "
9 " I think of my son. I remember him as a baby in my arms—the sweet smell of his soft head beneath my lips when I kissed him good night before setting him down in his crib. "
10 " But sometimes, a flicker of light can emerge from the darkest, most unexpected tragedies. "
11 " that. “I know the feeling. I think it’s part of being a parent. Sometimes you just want to go hide under a rock somewhere, but you have to stay strong for your kids, to keep their world upright. "
12 " longer. I also know that I can’t protect him from pain. Pain is part of life, and we have to deal with it when it comes. But sometimes, a flicker of light can emerge from the darkest, most unexpected tragedies. "
13 " My heart pounds like a jackhammer, and I can’t find the right words. All I can think about is what if both Alan and I had been killed. Zack’s an only child. He would have been left all alone. "
14 " Not completely, because sometimes I still feel angry, but then I remember that he gave me you, and I’m glad I married him. I have no regrets about that.” It’s a monstrous statement, and it feels good to say it. To truly believe it. Zack "
15 " You’re looking at the glass half-full,” I say. “You see me as an optimist, but maybe I’m just naive. I don’t know which is better. To be blind and optimistic—to wear rose-colored glasses and allow yourself to be vulnerable—or to be realistic and cynical? To be prepared for someone to disappoint you? To have your guard up and not be taken by surprise?” Carla sits back. “Being an optimist doesn’t make you blind. A cynic can be blind too—in even worse ways. A cynic can miss out on something wonderful because they only see the dark side of it, so they steer away from a good thing because they expect it to go wrong eventually. "
16 " I remind myself that my son is no longer the little boy I used to cuddle at night when we read bedtime stories together. He’s a man now, living on his own. I’m proud of him and pleased that he’s independent, even though I miss him every day. "
17 " It makes me think about how Alan behaved over the past few years. How he kept so much hidden from me. I can see now how it was possible, and I don’t like how that makes me feel. "
18 " Everything’s perfect.” I want to kick myself for using that word, because nothing’s ever perfect. "
19 " can’t protect him from pain. Pain is part of life, and we have to deal with it when it comes. But sometimes, a flicker of light can emerge from the darkest, most unexpected tragedies. "
20 " I need to beat that spiteful little devil down with a big fat Oprah stick. "
