The River We Remember

by William Kent Krueger

“People who make other people unhappy are generally pretty unhappy themselves,” she said.

The most frightening thing we do in our lives is to love.

When you hurt, Brody, I hurt. That’s the way it is with people you love, especially your children.”

When the world throws at you nothing but stones, maybe to survive you simply become stone yourself.

Across all her years of defending the accused, Charlie had come to understand that was the way of our darkest secrets. As much as we fear their revelation, we pray to be able to bring them into the light, to unburden ourselves to someone

who might understand.

Death is as ordinary in this world as birth or breathing. Though we may fear that journey and what awaits us there, it’s a revelation that will come to us all someday.

But then, that’s one of the beauties of life. That we still fight on.

We all die, but some of us—those who are blessed or maybe just lucky—have the opportunity before that

end to be redeemed. We can let go, forgive others, and also forgive ourselves for the worst of what we are or have been.