Normal, in our house, is like a blanket too short for a bed--sometimes it covers you just fine, and other times it leaves you cold and shaking; and worst of all, you never know which of the two it's going to be.
Jodi PicoultRead
And that was the greatest heartbreak of all- no matter how spectacular we want our children to be, no matter how perfect we pretend they are, they are bound to disappoint. As it turns out, kids are more like us than we think: damaged, through and through.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the inevitability of disappointment in parental expectations for their children, emphasizing their inherent flaws.
Jodi Picoult's quote reflects on the poignant reality that parents often hold high hopes and ideals for their children, envisioning them to be remarkable and free from the failures that characterize human experience. However, the harsh truth is that children, much like their parents, come with their own set of imperfections and struggles, leading to heartbreak when expectations clash with reality. This acknowledgment serves as a reminder of our shared humanity and the importance of accepting our loved ones, flaws and all.
Themes
ParentingExpectationsDisappointmentPerfectionHumanity
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the challenges of parenting during a family gathering.
More from Jodi Picoult
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she told me she'd be a phoenix." The image of the mythical creature rising from the ashes glitters in my mind. "They don't really exist." "She said that depends on whether or not there's someone who can see them.
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for 100,000 (dollars), you [can] flatten a house with a wrecking ball. Imagine how much less it [takes] to destroy something than it [does] to build it in the first place.
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But if you seek forgiveness, doesn't that automatically mean you cannot be a monster? By definition, doesn't that desperation make you human again?
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when you [lose someone], it feels like the hole in your gum when a tooth falls out. You can chew, you can eat, you have plenty of other teeth, but your tongue keeps going back to that empty place, where all nerves are still a little raw
Jodi PicoultRead
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