This is How it Happened Quotes

“We can’t define people by their worst actions.”
― Paula Stokes, This is How it Happened

“Where does seeking justice end and seeking vengeance begin?”
― Paula Stokes, This is How it Happened

“You have more power than you think. Be careful what you do with it.”
― Paula Stokes, This is How it Happened

“Some people just want to be part of the story, even if it’s a story that’s completely fabricated.”
― Paula Stokes, This is How it Happened

“Our “protective bubbles”—our houses, our cars, our friends, our online identities—might make us feel secure, but most of it’s just an illusion. It’s easy to get hurt, just like it’s easy to hurt other people.”
― Paula Stokes, This is How it Happened

“I’ve read so many stories online about how tragedy brings people together, how hard times encourage bravery and sacrifice, how a crisis can turn ordinary folks into heroes. But what about the opposite, when something horrible happens and it strips us bare, exposing weaknesses we didn’t even know we had. What about when tragedy makes people worse?”
― Paula Stokes, This is How it Happened

“Maybe you think you’re just one person. What you do doesn’t really matter. You can read a few tweets or blog posts and then publicly render your judgment of a total stranger. Who cares? You’re just one tiny voice in a huge ocean. But the thing about tiny voices is that when they band together they can be incredibly loud. Uncomfortably loud. Sometimes that’s a good thing—a strong thing. A group of voices can wake people up to the truth. But a group of voices can be a bad thing too, because we’re not always right. Or even when we are right, sometimes the things we do to each other still aren’t okay.”
― Paula Stokes, This is How it Happened

“Well, my dads are always saying I’m the handsome one in the family, but it’s always nice to hear a girl say it, too. Especially if she’s under fifty.”
― Paula Stokes, This is How it Happened

“I don’t think you can just choose to believe in God. You either do or you don’t, and no matter what camp you’re in, it would take something life-changing to truly lead you into the other one.”
― Paula Stokes, This is How it Happened

“Emotions I’ve been working hard to hold back all summer start to spill out of me as I pull Elliott’s mouth toward my own. I’m so eager and impatient that our noses bump and teeth knock together before our lips slide into place. The frigid water is still lapping at my legs, but I can’t feel it anymore. My entire body is flush with heat, with desire. If it weren’t for the faintest hint of dance music from the clearing, I’d think that the two of us were completely alone.

I wish the two of us were completely alone.”
― Paula Stokes, This is How it Happened