Lessons in Chemistry

by Bonnie Garmus

People often underestimate what a pregnant woman is capable of, but people always underestimate what a grieving pregnant woman is capable of.

God was big on burdens, and He made sure everyone got one. Besides, if you didn’t believe in God, you also didn’t get to believe in heaven or hell, and she very much wanted to believe in hell because she very much wanted to believe that Mr. Sloane was going there.

“What did I tell you? Your bond with that boy is hydrogen only. When are you going to wake up and smell the ions?”

“There isn’t a woman in the world who is just a housewife,” Elizabeth said.

Courage is the root of change—and change is what we’re chemically designed to do. So when you wake up tomorrow, make this pledge. No more holding yourself back. No more subscribing to others’ opinions of what you can and cannot achieve. And no more allowing anyone to pigeonhole you into useless categories of sex, race, economic status, and religion. Do not allow your talents to lie dormant, ladies. Design your own future. When you go home today, ask yourself what you will change. And then get started.”