Mother’s particular devils had remained mysterious to me for decades. So had her past. Few born liars ever intentionally embark in truth’s direction, even those who believe that such a journey might axiomatically set them free.
Mary KarrRead
There's a space at the bottom of an exhale, a little hitch between taking in and letting out that's a perfect zero you can go into. There's a rest point between the heart muscle's close and open - an instant of keenest living when you're momentarily dead. You can rest there.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of finding stillness and restfulness in the moments between activities.
Mary Karr's quote reflects on the idea that within the natural rhythms of life, there are brief pauses where one can truly experience existence. These moments of cessation from action are essential for reflection and can lead to deeper understanding and appreciation of life.
Themes
StillnessExhalePauseRestLifeReflection
In practice
Example use cases
During a mindfulness workshop, the facilitator quoted Karr to emphasize the importance of finding moments of stillness in our busy lives.
More from Mary Karr
All quotes →I was 40 years old before I became an overnight success, and I'd been publishing for 20 years.
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I always say that a poet loves the world, and the prose writer needs to create an alternative world.
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Childhood was terrifying for me. A kid has no control. You're three feet tall, flat broke, unemployed, and illiterate. Terror snaps you awake. You pay keen attention. People can just pick you up and move you and put you down.
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Reading is socially accepted disassociation. You flip a switch and you’re not there anymore. It’s better than heroin. More effective and cheaper and legal.
Mary KarrRead
My idea of art is, you write something that makes people feel so strongly that they get some conviction about who they want to be or what they want to do. It's morally useful not in a political way, but it makes your heart bigger; it's emotionally and spiritually empowering.
Mary KarrRead
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