While They're Still Here Quotes

“Their religion was never something they talked about, aside from offering a brief grace at big meals. They simply tried to abide by the Ten Commandments as best they could, with occasional lapses of racism and prejudice and fractured promises of fidelity.”
― Patricia Williams, While They're Still Here: A Memoir

“I didn't want my exhaustion to burn through my empathy. How terrifying was this loss of electric power superimposed on the powerlessness of aging and disability? I could not fathom it and tried not to be judgmental about my parents' reactions. How did it feel not seeing well to begin with and then functioning by flashlight? How did it feel to depend on others for your heat, water, and food?”
― Patricia Williams, While They're Still Here: A Memoir

“I vowed to myself to do everything possible to help my parents be happy, and I prayed they would work at it, too. I knew I wanted to provide them with every bit of support I could without taking away their own legs to stand on.”
― Patricia Williams, While They're Still Here: A Memoir

“I realized that aging gracefully was less about grace and more about strength. I had to toughen up.”
― Patricia Williams, While They're Still Here: A Memoir