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
But mostly I wondered why the head could move so swiftly while the heart dragged its feet. I still loved him. It felt like anything else permanent that has gone missing; a lost tooth, a severed leg. You might know better, but that doesn’t keep your tongue from poling at the hole in your gum, or your phantom limb from aching.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses the conflict between the mind's ability to move on and the heart's struggle to let go of love.
In this poignant reflection, Jodi Picoult highlights the emotional turmoil one experiences when trying to reconcile the rapid processing of thoughts with the lingering feelings of love that remain tied to past relationships. The imagery of a lost tooth or a phantom limb serves to illustrate the persistent pain of absence, suggesting that while one's intellect may understand the need to move forward, one's heart can continue to feel deeply attached to what has been lost.
Themes
LoveHeartMindLossEmotion
In practice
Example use cases
Use this quote in a speech about the complexities of love during a relationship discussion.
More from Jodi Picoult
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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
Jodi PicoultRead
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