“Things don’t go away. They become you. There is no end, as T.S. Eliot somewhere says, but addition: the trailing consequence of further days and hours. No freedom from the past, or from the future.
But we keep making our way, as we have to. We’re all pretty much able to deal even with the worst that life can fire at us, if we simply admit that it is very difficult. I think that’s the whole of the answer. We make our way, and effort and time give us cushion and dignity. And as we age, we’re riding higher in the saddle, seeing more terrain.”
― Darin Strauss, Half a Life
Image: “You still bloomed in songs” by Carol Lin via Flickr.
Welcome! I am a lawyer turned freelance writer, essayist, and editor. On staff at Literary Mama and the co-founder and co-editor of the literary journal, The Sunlight Press, my essays and reported work have appeared in The Washington Post, The Lily, Saveur, Civil Eats, Brain, Child, ESPN and elsewhere. I am currently at work on a memoir on grief and culture and how it provides perspective on life’s ordinary graces. I invite you to appreciate the ordinary with me. I hope my daily practice of seeing the magic in the mundane helps you celebrate and find more of these moments in your life too.
Couldn’t be more perfect today. Thank you.
Lovely. And something I needed to hear (read) today. Thanks for sharing.
Ah, that was so beautiful.
Lately, I’ve been able to admit how difficult it is.
This quote, and that startlingly beautiful image, is so moving and true. I loved Darin’s book, a Half a Life, and read it in part because it’s a similar premise to the novel I’m working on. I’m happy to have found your blog because of it.
-Dana
Perfect.