One of the great things about books is you can afford to do anything.
George R. R. MartinRead
Children are a battle of a different sort. ... A battle without banners or warhorns but no less fierce.
Interpretation
Raising children is a challenging but meaningful endeavor that requires perseverance.
This quote by George R. R. Martin emphasizes that parenting is a significant challenge, akin to a battle, though it lacks the traditional markers of war. It highlights the intensity and struggle that comes with nurturing and raising children, acknowledging the emotional and physical toll it can take on parents, yet recognizing the value of this experience.
In practice
In a speech at a parenting workshop, I could use this quote to illustrate the challenges of raising children.
One of the great things about books is you can afford to do anything.
I hate outlines. I have a broad sense of where the story is going; I know the end, I know the end of the principal characters, and I know the major turning points and events from the books, the climaxes for each book, but I don't necessarily know each twist and turn along the way. That's something I discover in the course of writing and that's what makes writing enjoyable. I think if I outlined comprehensively and stuck to the outline the actual writing would be boring.
There is only one god and his name is Death. And there is only one thing we say to Death: βNot today.
I did not do it. Yet now I wish I had.β He turned to face the hall, that sea of pale faces. βI wish I had enough poison for you all. You make me sorry that I am not the monster you would have me be, yet there it is. I am innocent, but I will get no justice here.
But a voice inside her whispered, There are no heroes, and she remembered what Lord Petyr had said to her, here in this very hall. 'Life is not a song, sweetling,' he'd told her, 'You may learn that one day to your sorrow.' In life, the monsters win, she told herself.
I write from this tight third-person viewpoint, where each chapter is seen through the eyes of one individual character. When I'm writing that character, I become that character and identify with that character.
The voice of parents is the voice of gods, for to their children they are heaven's lieutenants.
The man the world knew as Billy Graham was always 'Daddy' to me. I was well into my teens before I fully comprehended that my father had a household name and a worldwide ministry.
If you lose a parent, it never goes away. As a kid, I dreamed about my father coming back for 15 or 20 years. I still do sometimes.
When you have a baby, you set off an explosion in your marriage, and when the dust settles, your marriage is different from what it was. Not better, necessarily; not worse, necessarily; but different.
Each family prayer, each episode of family scripture study, and each family home evening is a brushstroke on the canvas of our souls. No one event may appear to be very impressive or memorable. But just as the yellow and gold and brown strokes of paint complement each other and produce an impressive masterpiece, so our consistency in doing seemingly small things can lead to significant spiritual results.
I would give up the unessential; I would give up my money, I would give up my life for my children; but I wouldnt give myself. I can't make it more clear; it's only something I am beginning to comprehend, which is revealing itself to me.
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