Quotes from Mary Alice Monroe

worry about you, Caretta. You are a strong woman, true enough. But strength without flexibility makes one hard. Come September, when those fierce winds blow in from the sea, those hardwoods crack, splinter and fall. But the pliant palms are resilient and they bend with the wind. This is the secret of a Southern woman. Strength, resilience and beauty. We are never hard.

Angel was snoring softly, curled in the cramped backseat of the car. She chuckled to herself. He could fall asleep at the drop of a hat anytime and anywhere. Unlike herself, who struggled to fall asleep anywhere but in her own bed, and even then she usually awoke in the early hours of the morning—the witching hour—her mind spinning with thoughts, recriminations, and dire warnings.

love was never a sin. Not loving, now that was the very worst kind of sin

People always seem to be in so much of a hurry," Lovie continued as she sat down breathlessly in the sand. "Rush, rush, rush. What are they rushing toward? Life isn't some kind of race. We all cross the same finish line, sooner or later. You'd hate to get the end in sight and suddenly wish you'd walked rather than run, wouldn't you?" "Maybe that's why they call it the human race.

But now her children were grown-up and she felt every inch of the distance between them, stretching further over the years.

She never wanted to hurt anyone's feelings. But in the end, she hurt herself.

It time for me to shed all my insecurities and fears. Let them fall to the ground. It's time for me to find my voice and fly.

Today was the first day of summer, she realized, her spirits lifting like a kite. She loved milestones of any sort: birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, checks on the calendar, notches on a growth chart. Today would be special, brand new. She felt it deep inside. Summer was here with sunny days and balmy nights, the informality of barbecues and dips in the swimming pool. She was so relieved to have the grind of the school year finished. She missed playing with her children.

I still have my talent. My life. You're the one who told me not to live in fear. I'm listening to you. If I don't act on my instincts, then I'm afraid to act on what I know is right. And this is right. I feel it in my heart. In my soul. I know what to do.

The beach house is a state of mind more than a place.

Love wasn't hard, she thought. Losing love was.

But the pursuit of wealth would not inspire passion.

The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

That death followed life and life was renewed once again, over and over with the steadiness of the seasons.

I don't think so. 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.

I'm sure that's true. Nonetheless, Nate has to learn to face the consequences of his actions. You will not be able to protect him from all of life's difficult moments, you know. No parent can. All we can do is to let him go through them and learn from them. To give him the tools he needs.

Every Owner's nightmare was to get stuck in traffic w / a trailer full of horses and a hurricane approaching.

I accept that the mind often dictates the heart. Yet I believe that the heart is the truer guide.

The Lowcountry Summer Trilogy) 1. Psychological fiction. 2. Domestic fiction. I. Title. PS3563.O529S89 2015

But we can't change history. We can only try to improve what happens today and in our future.

She was nearly seventy years old. There was no time left for regret or misgivings, no time for dreams of what might have been.

We won that war, you know." "So I heard. Nasty business. But we're friends now.

Please, Lord, answer this one small prayer. Not just for me, but for Cara. Help me play with my child once more before I die. Bring my Cara home.

There are always people who like to put their paws on your back.