The Spoon Stealer

by Lesley Crewe

“I’ve never written about my life before. When you read it out loud to people, it’s like living it all over again, but it’s not the same. Which is the truth—what happened, or my memory of what happened?”

“Confidence is an astonishing thing. Bring that to the table, and everyone believes anything you say.

If you want something badly enough, there’s always a way around it.

The best thing you can do is know that you can’t change her, so stop trying. Live your life around her. You are not responsible for her actions, and you should never feel guilty about what she does. She owns that, not you.”

“Bev, he didn’t embarrass his family. He embarrassed himself. You and Toby have nothing to be ashamed of. This is about him, not you.

“You’re not stupid. The things you do are stupid. You need to figure out why you constantly sabotage yourself. You have a family who loves you. That’s the biggest gift right there. And I’m a member of that family, and I still love you.”

“When people think they know you, just leave them be. I’ve given away so many secrets, but only certain secrets to certain people. I have to trust my own instincts. I’m just not ready to be an entirely open book for everyone.”

As much as family thinks they’re being helpful to the dying, it’s often a terrible burden to the patient, because they feel they need to entertain their guests and often they don’t feel like talking. It’s a strain.