Normal, in our house, is like a blanket too short for a bed--sometimes it covers you just fine, and other times it leaves you cold and shaking; and worst of all, you never know which of the two it's going to be.
Jodi PicoultRead
I thought of all the magazine article I'd read on mothers who worked and constantly felt guilty about leaving their children with someone else. I had trained myself to read pieces like that and silently say to myself, 'See how lucky you are?' But it had been gnawing at the inside, that part that didn't fit, that I never let myself even think about. After all, wasn't it a worse kind of guilt to be with your child and to know that you wanted to be anywhere but there?
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote explores the guilt and inner conflict of a working mother who feels torn between her career and motherhood.
In this quote, Jodi Picoult reflects on the emotional struggles faced by working mothers who grapple with feelings of guilt for not being present for their children. She highlights the complexity of maternal guilt, questioning whether it is more painful to leave one's children for work or to be with them while feeling an urge to do something else. This inner turmoil reveals the societal pressures and personal expectations that can complicate the experience of motherhood.
Themes
MotherhoodGuiltBalanceWork-LifeSelf-Reflection
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote in a panel discussion about work-life balance for mothers.
More from Jodi Picoult
All quotes →Whether it was power they sought, or revenge, or love-well, those were all just different forms of hunger. The bigger the hole inside you, the more desperate you became to fill it.
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when you [lose someone], it feels like the hole in your gum when a tooth falls out. You can chew, you can eat, you have plenty of other teeth, but your tongue keeps going back to that empty place, where all nerves are still a little raw
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