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‘The past, you know, is always with us, always reaching out to claim part of us, and I learned a very long time ago that we cannot escape it.’
whoever told you life is fair? It’s most unfair, and it has always been damned hard, in my experience. How we cope with life, react to our hardships and suffering, and overcome them, that’s what really counts in the end. We must all be strong, learn from our troubles, grow in stature and character. We can’t ever let adversity get us down,
‘Love is a handful of seeds, marriage the garden,’ Emma had said softly. ‘And like your gardens, Paula, marriage requires total commitment, hard work, and a great deal of love and care. Be ruthless with the weeds. Pull them out before they take hold. Bring the same dedication to your marriage that you do to your gardens and everything will be all right. Remember that a marriage has to be constantly replenished too, if you want it to flourish…’
each of us is the author of our own lives? That we are responsible for what we are? For the deeds, both good and bad, that we do?’
‘I am not made or unmade by the things which happen to me but by my reactions to them. That is all God cares about.’
the strongest steel goes through the hottest fire. Yes, my dear, we had our troubles just like most people do. Nevertheless, we overcame them.’
isn’t portioned out and then encased in little capsules—time is like a river. The past, the present, the future all flow together to become one long continuing and never-ending stream. We get echoes of the past every day of our lives, and we see images of the future as we live in the present. Time gone and time yet to come is all around us, Paula, and time is a dimension unto itself.’
Life has its own intricate pattern—there is a grand design, really. What has already happened in our lives was meant to happen, perhaps to show us the way, lead us to each other. And the future is already here with us, now, at this very moment, whether we’re aware of it or not.’ He put his hand under her chin, lifted her face to his, looked deeply into her eyes. ‘And we’re not going to think about anything except this weekend. We’ll take each day after that as it comes.’ He leaned into her, kissed her lightly, drew back. ‘Don’t look so serious. Life has a way of taking care of itself and I
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Anyway throughout my life I’ve tried to rise above that sort of thing. Always remember that it is far better to be gracious in difficult situations, Emily, than to sink to the levels of others.
Life intrudes, that can’t be helped. We’re just going to have to battle it through.’
forget yesterday, think of tomorrow and keep forging ahead without looking back.
she wanted to start afresh, to move forward, to put the past behind her, to look ahead to the future. Don’t look back, forge ahead, Emma had always said to her. And that was what she must now do.
