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
You can run but you can't hide... but I can try. I feel air catch in my lungs and I get a cramp in my side and this pain, this wonderful physical pain that I can place, reminds me that after all I am still alive.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the struggle of facing life's challenges while embracing the pain that reminds us of our existence.
In this quote, Jodi Picoult speaks to the universal truth that while we may attempt to escape from our problems and fears, they always remain present. The 'wonderful physical pain' signifies that enduring difficulties and discomfort is a part of being alive, highlighting the connection between struggle and the awareness of existence itself. It suggests that rather than avoiding challenges, we should acknowledge and feel them as a sign of vitality.
Themes
LifePainExistenceStruggleSurvival
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a motivational speech to encourage people to embrace their struggles.
More from Jodi Picoult
All quotes →Whether it was power they sought, or revenge, or love-well, those were all just different forms of hunger. The bigger the hole inside you, the more desperate you became to fill it.
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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?
Jodi PicoultRead
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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