“We’re all on our own, aren’t we? That’s what it boils down to.
We come into this world on our own- in Hawaii, as I did, or New York, or China, or Africa or Montana- and we leave it in the same way, on our own, wherever we happen to be at the time- in a plane, in our beds, in a car, in a space shuttle, or in a field of flowers.
And between those times, we try to connect along the way with others who are also on their own.
If we’re lucky, we have a mother who reads to us.
We have a teacher or two along the way who make us feel special.
We have dogs who do the stupid dog tricks we teach them and who lie on our bed when we’re not looking, because it smells like us, and so we pretend not to notice the paw prints on the bedspread.
We have friends who lend us their favorite books.
Maybe we have children, and grandchildren, and funny mailmen and eccentric great-aunts, and uncles who can pull pennies out of their ears.
All of them teach us stuff. They teach us about combustion engines and the major products of Bolivia, and what poems are not boring, and how to be kind to each other, and how to laugh, and when the vigil is in our hands, and when we have to make the best of things even though it’s hard sometimes.
Looking back together, telling our stories to one another, we learn how to be on our own.”
― Lois Lowry
Image: drop by Allan Foster via Flickr.
I love Lois Lowry. My oldest is on book 3 of the Giver quartet. I love that series so much.
I’ll have to mention the series to my daughter. Thanks.
I think it is very much my state of mind/emotional place right now, but I find this so heartbreaking. I don’t disagree with the thoughts expressed here, I just find myself very sad thinking about it.
Dakota,
I am sorry to hear it has been so hard lately. I’ve been in those periods too. Sending hugs, my friend. xoxo
Indeed. We are all on our own together. 🙂
Yes… completely agree. xo