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
I wonder if other mothers feel a tug at their insides, watching their children grow up into the people they themselves wanted so badly to be.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Mothers often feel a deep emotional connection to their children's growth and aspirations, reflecting their own unfulfilled desires.
This quote expresses the complex emotions that mothers experience as they watch their children mature. It highlights a sense of longing and reflection, where mothers see in their children the potential to realize dreams and ambitions they may not have achieved themselves. It captures the dual feelings of pride and nostalgia, emphasizing the emotional 'tug' that accompanies significant milestones in their children's lives.
Themes
MotherhoodGrowthDreamsEmotionsFamily
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about motherhood, a speaker could use this quote to illustrate the emotional journey of raising children.
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.
Jodi PicoultRead
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.
Jodi PicoultRead
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.
Jodi PicoultRead
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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