Anything Is Possible (Amgash #2)

by Elizabeth Strout

It was not Tommy’s nature to regret things, and on the night of the fire—in the midst of his galloping fear—he understood that all that mattered in this world were his wife and his children, and he thought that people lived their whole lives not knowing this as sharply and constantly as he did.

It seemed the older he grew—and he had grown old—the more he understood that he could not understand this confusing contest between good and evil, and that maybe people were not meant to understand things here on earth.

And remorse, well, to be able to show remorse—to be able to be sorry about what we’ve done that’s hurt other people—that keeps us human.”

We’re all just a mess, Angelina, trying as hard as we can, we love imperfectly, Angelina, but it’s okay.

This was the skin that protected you from the world—this loving of another person you shared your life with.

She could not tell her—this child she loved as much as she had loved anything—that she did not dread her death, that she was almost ready for it, not really but getting there, and it was horrifying to realize that—that life had worn her out, worn her down, she was almost ready to die, and she would die, probably not too long from now.

Not one thing lasts forever;

She came to understand that people had to decide, really, how they were going to live.