#moth

You men never change. Is that all you can see? Proud grandfathers of a large....” Mrs. Werner smacked her husband upside the head and took the pictures away. ↗

— Melisa M. Hamling

#mothers #change

So the peasants are used as targets in war?” I doubted. “Does the Overhead feel that is necessary to kill off one of their own? Peasants are being placed as diversions on the front line like they mean nothing—” “Would you rather save the strong, or spare the weak?” Mother questioned me. “Why can we not do both?” I returned. “Because Heaven has its reasons, Anastasia,” Mother chimed quietly. “It is Heavens way to balance those who are strong and those who are weak. It cannot be changed. ↗

— B.C. Doyle

#layers-of-heaven #mother #testing-fate #change

Poor woman! She probably thought change of air might agree with many of her children. ↗

— Jane Austen

#kids #motherhood #change

God know that a mother need fortitude and courage and tolerance and flexibility and patience and firmness and nearly every other brave aspect of the human soul. ↗

— Phyllis McGinley

#courage

Your power as a woman, as a mother, is your medicine, and it saved you. Take your courage in that. ↗

— Jim Fergus

#the-power-of-women #courage

That’s the funny thing,” she said. “Men always want to die for something. For someone. I can see the appeal. You do it once and it’s done. No more worrying, not knowing, about tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. I know you all think it sounds brave, but I’ll tell you something even braver. To struggle and fight for the ones you love today. And then do it all over again the next day. Every day. For your whole life. It’s not as romantic, I admit. But it takes a lot of courage to live for someone, too. ↗

— Victor LaValle

#motherhood #courage

It was Sunday, and Mumma had gone next door with Lena and the little ones. Under the pepper tree in the yard Pa was sorting, counting, the empty bottles he would sell back: the bottles going clink clink as Pa stuck them in the sack. The fowls were fluffing in the dust and sun: that crook-neck white pullet Mumma said she would hit on the head if only she had the courage to; but she hadn't. ↗

— Patrick White

#children #fathers #fowls #mothers #recycling

You just stood up to your mother.... I should think now you could take on the world. ↗

— Elizabeth Strout

#mother #mothers #mothers-and-sons #standing-your-ground #courage

Sydney's the kind of port that leaves a mark on a sailor," the old man mused. "Really?" Haakon said, wondering what the man meant. "It did on me," he said, opening up his shirt to display his chest. It was covered with tattoos! At the top, SYDNEY was printed in elaborate red and blue letters. Beneath that was an enticing selection of names and dates. "Mary, 1838...Adella, 1840..." The old sailor began laughing. "Beatrice, 1843...Helen, 1846." And then finally, "Mother." There was no date after "Mother." "Mothers you love forever," he said. Everybody laughed then, including Haakon, though the thought brought some sadness to his heart. He did love his mother forever, and he missed her as well. ↗

— Bonnie Bryant Hiller

#pirates #tattoos #dating

You know that euphemism, she’s expecting? It’s apt. The birth of a baby, so long as it’s healthy, is something to look forward to. It’s a good thing, a big, good, huge event. And from thereon in, every good things, too,” I added hurriedly, “but also, you know, first steps, first dates, first places in sack races. Kids, they graduate, they marry, they have kids themselves- in a way, you get to do everything twice. Even if our kid had problems,” I supposed idiotically, “at least they wouldn’t be our same old problems... ” (22) ↗

— Lionel Shriver

#motherhood #dating