Quotes from Mary Alice Monroe

read so much about the grieving process over the past month. Devoured articles on the Internet, ordered books. All of them were clear that there was no timeline for grief. They were specific about symptoms of grief—the sensations of choking, shortness of breath, feelings of emptiness, endless crying. But nothing warned her that when she wasn't experiencing those symptoms of anguish, all that was left was a sense of meaninglessness. A great, vast gray space of nothingness. Limbo.

Don't be angry any longer! Cancer is eating away my body, but anger will eat away your soul. Don't let it destroy your chance for happiness.

To describe Monroe's books is like trying to describe the Lowcountry itself.

fate could come along and intervene and change the course of one's life in the breath of a moment. One tragic fall, a bitter divorce, a child's decision, a hurricane.

This magical song took them all far from the muted peace of the suburban blocks they were familiar with, far, farther back to their youth, when they were smooth skinned, slim and sassy, when they walked the city streets with swinging hips, when their worlds delivered pearls.

We can only do what we can live with.

Sometimes she's so stuck up she'd drown in a rainstorm.

Spring was in the air—ripe, verdant, full of promise. And with the spring came the rush and clamor of weddings. Marietta

And, too, there was that delightful freshness of mist and dewy grass that lingered like spirits at dawn. Marietta

Why hadn't she believed she could do it? As soon as she asked the question, she knew the answer. Fear. Fear of failure. Fear of not being perfect. Fear was at the root of her problems. The bedrock of her timidity. The

Rather, think of etiquette as a philosophy of living and enjoying life with grace, compassion, and respect for others.

sure of anything right now. I'm just very tired.

the measuring tape and saw Michael standing alone on the small rise. The man seemed a part of the scenery as he stood, hands on hips, his hair whipped by the wind like the meadowsweet at his feet, his jaw set like the granite rocks. "He must love his job," she said to Bobby. Bobby looked up and followed her gaze to his brother, standing

Call me Mamaw. That's what the girls call me." He swallowed, touched by the offer, but shook his head. "I'm sorry. It's a kind offer, but I'm not ready to go that far yet.

Treating others with kindness, consideration, and respect was timeless. All should be aware of how their actions affect others in their daily lives. Marriage

Power isn't telling someone what to do, she told herself. Strength isn't having the upper hand. Nobility and grace are revealed in the manner in which love is given.

A woman's life has so many demands because she is the axis around which so many little planets spin. I did it and, yes, there were countless delightful moments. But that part of my life died when Stratton did.

I think everyone should take time, at least once a week, to catch a sunrise. Just to feel alive and that there's hope.

Local fishers, coastal communities, businesses, and the tourism industry are already seeing the negative effects of climate change. This means the destruction of coastal and marine ecosystems threatens the security of around 40 percent of the world population.

Light helps define a place. Here the light has color. It changes throughout the day and it's unpredictable.

Rather than feel small, however, in this arena she felt part of something much bigger than herself. This gave her both a sense of power and peace.

Cancer is eating away my body, but anger will eat away your soul.

It gives us a better perspective of our place. We hold our history so dear, our politics so tight. But in the fullness of time, all histories fade. Rome, Ephesus, the Incan and Mayan cultures. The wheel of time turns round and round and proves change is part of nature. The problem comes in trying to interfere with nature or to think we know more than nature. Our failures are humbling. The more I learn, the more I see that, in the end, nature will prevail.

Perhaps he kept surprising her, she pondered, because she was limiting him in her mind.