Someone Else's Shoes

by Jojo Moyes

“How many of the decisions you make each day are because you actually want to do something, and how many are to avoid the consequences of not doing it?”

Do men hear this constant inner voice, telling them constantly to strive to be better, to be productive, to be useful? Even when Phil was happier he was mostly oblivious to

don’t know many people who could have coped with what you went through. Strength—real strength—is not doing what someone asks you, necessarily. Strength is turning up every day to a situation that is intolerable, unbearable even, just to support the people you love. Strength is being in that terrible room hour after hour even though every cell in your body is telling you it’s too much for you to cope with.”

“By that measure, Phil, you have done something very brave indeed.”