Gus Quotes

“There's something epic that happens every day if you look hard enough for it.”
― Kim Holden, Gus

“You only get one chance at this circus called life. Don’t sit in the crowd watchin’ it happen. You jump right in and be the ringleader. That’s where you find your fire.”
― Kim Holden, Gus

“How do you go back to doing what you did before, when half of you is gone forever?”
― Kim Holden, Gus

“Some people wear their scars on the outside. Others wear them on the inside. Same difference. Your character, your heart, your essence, that’s what’s important, because that’s the real you. All the rest, our looks, the material stuff? It's just meaningless bullshit.”
― Kim Holden, Gus

“I think people find each other when they’re ready for them. When they need each other the most. And it’s in that time of need that the strongest relationships are formed.”
― Kim Holden, Gus

“Epic is a state of mind.”
― Kim Holden, Gus

“I’m at the tipping point of a transformation that began months ago, an intentional decision put in motion. And it feels so fucking good. I’ve come to the full realization that my happiness, my life, falls squarely on my shoulders. No one’s gonna do it for it me. I’m the one who makes it or breaks it.  It’s a choice.  A choice that demands action in exchange for reward. Idleness and complacency lead to mediocrity. Sometimes action is really fucking hard fought, but that’s when the payoff’s the highest.  That’s when great things happen.  Not good things … but epic things. And I’ve fallen in love with epic.  It’s the only way to live.”
― Kim Holden, Gus

“Bright Side wasn’t only my best friend; she was like my other half ... the other half of my brain, the other half of my conscience, the other half of my sense of humor, the other half of my creativity, the other half of my heart.”
― Kim Holden, Gus

“Life ain’t about coasting. It’s about pushin’ the damn gas pedal all the way to the floor. Same goes for fun and love, no coasting. Pedal to the floor.”
― Kim Holden, Gus

“It was a gift. You were a gift. A gift that made my life worthwhile. A gift that made life fun. A gift that filled me with music. A gift that filled me with love. A gift that inspired me to live on the bright side.”
― Kim Holden, Gus

“Leave it to Bright Side to haunt me from the grave—and instead of it being creepy, it’s sunshine and rainbows and fucking unicorns.”
― Kim Holden, Gus

“When someone initiates kindness anonymously, you know it comes from the most pure, kind-hearted part of them because they’ll probably never be singled out and thanked. It speaks to his character.”
― Kim Holden, Gus

“Outside on the sidewalk, I stop in my tracks. The sun is setting. It’s like fire in the sky.  Bright.  Brilliant.  Orange. The four guys stand with me in awed silence. They know how much Bright Side loved to watch the sunset.  My smile grows as the sun makes its final descent and plunges us into darkness. Bright Side was definitely in charge tonight.  “That’s my girl.”
― Kim Holden, Gus

“That’s the secret. You find what you love and you go for it. Life ain’t about coasting. It’s about pushin’ the damn gas pedal all the way to the floor. Same goes for fun and love, no coasting. Pedal to the floor.”
― Kim Holden, Gus

“I need to know why I’m supposed to go through the rest of my life without being able to talk to her. Hug her. Hear her laugh. Watch the sunset with her. Watch her play her violin. Kiss her forehead. Tell her I love her. Hear her say it back. Why? Why?!”
― Kim Holden, Gus

“Fuck it. I am who I am. Nobody's perfect.”
― Kim Holden, Gus

“I don’t know how to be Gus without her, dude. I’m fucking lost as shit.”
― Kim Holden, Gus

“Tears and Smiles <3 Mrs. Randolph
Quite the character!!!

"Here’s the thing about life, boy. We meet a lot of people along this journey. Some of them are sonsabitches and some are special. When you find the special ones you don’t take a moment for granted, because you never know when your time with them is gonna be up. I got over fifty years with my Fritz. Fifty wonderful years. When he died, I was lost for a few months. I lost my fire. But then I realized that life’s short and I had a choice to make. I could keep bein’ miserable, or I could go find joy and live again.” She’s squeezing even harder now. “If you only listen to one thing this crazy old lady tells you, I hope it’s this: ain’t nobody gonna stoke your fire but you, boy.” She looks at me hard with her grey, cloudy eyes. “You go make life happen.”
― Kim Holden, Gus

“Bendy straws are the shit, dude.”
― Kim Holden, Gus

“friends are the family you choose.”
― Kim Holden, Gus

“There’s something epic that happens every day if you look hard enough for it.”
― Kim Holden, Gus

“And when his big arms wrap around me, I realize in this moment that I’ve never really been hugged. This is a hug. This is what human contact is supposed to feel like. It’s supposed to feel … human. Distilled until it’s nothing but one human being transferring support to another human being in the form of touch that’s unselfish and pure in intention.”
― Kim Holden, Gus

“I knew I wasn’t alone. I haven’t written like that since Bright Side was around. I always feel her in my heart these days, because that’s where she lives. I walk around with her inside me every day. And it doesn’t hurt anymore. But the presence I felt tonight wasn’t internal. It was physical. Tangible. Like someone was in the room with me, feeding me. Little did I know, she was just on the other side of the door.  Filling my soul.”
― Kim Holden, Gus

“Kate Sedgwick. That name holds so much power over me. The best kind of power: inspiring, encouraging, and respectable. It’s a name that I’ve always associated with badass bravery. It’s a name that always meant anything was possible. It’s a name that was love and goodness and kindness.”
― Kim Holden, Gus

“Silence isn’t the enemy. It can bring comfort and clarity and validation. It’s a reminder of time for what it is … presence.”
― Kim Holden, Gus

“nobody is perfect. Some people wear their scars on the outside. Others wear them on the inside. Same difference. Your character, your heart, your essence, that’s what’s important, because that’s the real you. All the rest, our looks, the material stuff? It's just meaningless bullshit.”
― Kim Holden, Gus

“Happy birthday, Bright Side. I hope you’re in charge of showtime tonight. I’m expecting nothing short of fucking incredible on behalf of your big day, just so you know. No pressure, but you’d better step up and do epic.”
― Kim Holden, Gus

“Your character, your heart, your essence, that’s what’s important, because that’s the real you. All the rest, our looks, the material stuff? It's just meaningless bullshit.”
― Kim Holden, Gus

“I’m at the point where I just … don’t. I know that doesn’t make any fucking sense, but it’s how I feel. I don’t.”
― Kim Holden, Gus

“Hiding is how she functions. I wish she wouldn’t hide, but I’m in no position to judge. I’ve been hiding from myself for months.”
― Kim Holden, Gus