What to Do When I'm Gone Quotes

“Grief isn’t the only byproduct of a death. And death isn’t just subtraction. You’re left with a treasure of memories that can be triggered by sights, sounds, smells—a record of how my life enriched yours.”
― Suzy Hopkins, What to Do When I'm Gone: A Mother's Wisdom to Her Daughter

“You are numb. It's time to put your home in order. Give everything a place. Make it make sense. Make your room the exact opposite of the randomness of existence, the mercilessness of mortality. Life's a crapshoot. By staying calm and organized in the face of it, you will be able to find your socks when you need them.”
― Suzy Hopkins, What to Do When I'm Gone: A Mother's Wisdom to Her Daughter

“The earth would continue to spin, and I'd be left in a world without her. My map would be gone. The ground beneath my feet would be gone. Who could I call to ask how to cook a potato? Who would listen to me talk about my work for more than five minutes? Who would tell me everything? Who would forgive me for everything? How could I possibly navigate this world without the person who brought me into it?”
― Suzy Hopkins, What to Do When I'm Gone: A Mother's Wisdom to Her Daughter

“Keep in mind that no matter how many people you're surrounded by, you die alone. This is really your show.”
― Suzy Hopkins, What to Do When I'm Gone: A Mother's Wisdom to Her Daughter

“Your thoughts are just that: thoughts, not reality, and honestly, you can’t always trust them.”
― Suzy Hopkins, What to Do When I'm Gone: A Mother's Wisdom to Her Daughter

“Day 8: Go Rollerblading
Your job today is not to think. Just be. When you're Rollerblading, you can't think in the conventional way, unless you're a really good Rollerblader. If you're the kind of Rollerbladder I was, all you're thinking is, 'I'm gonna fall I'm gonna fall I'm gonna fall!' This is good. You won't have time to dwell on real or imagined memories, sorrows, or angst. You won't have time to think, 'Oh no, I yelled at my mother the last conversation we ever had.' That's OK. You had no way of knowing it was the last time we'd talk. Feel bad, feel sad, roll on.”
― Suzy Hopkins, What to Do When I'm Gone: A Mother's Wisdom to Her Daughter

“Fear is useful when it causes you to avoid an oncoming train or motivates you to make positive changes. Otherwise, it's a life suck. When you're terrified, ask yourself: Is this helping? If not, laugh in fear's face.”
― Suzy Hopkins, What to Do When I'm Gone: A Mother's Wisdom to Her Daughter

“I see happiness as contentment with what you're doing right now. That may be nothing at all, or something ambitious, or something in between. It's a sense of not wanting to be anywhere else.”
― Suzy Hopkins, What to Do When I'm Gone: A Mother's Wisdom to Her Daughter

“Memories will come to you in waves, unbidden.”
― Suzy Hopkins, What to Do When I'm Gone: A Mother's Wisdom to Her Daughter

“If you die angry, you've waited too long.”
― Suzy Hopkins, What to Do When I'm Gone: A Mother's Wisdom to Her Daughter

“Why go on if we all just die in the end? There's a great reason. If you knew you were going to live forever, imagine how much time you'd waste. Amazing things can happen when there's a deadline looming.”
― Suzy Hopkins, What to Do When I'm Gone: A Mother's Wisdom to Her Daughter