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
We're [parents]) always bluffing, pretending we know best, when most of the time we're just praying we won't screw up too badly.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Parenting often involves uncertainty and the need to put on a confident front despite doubts.
This quote by Jodi Picoult highlights the inherent challenges and insecurities of parenting. It suggests that parents frequently act as if they have all the answers, while internally they grapple with the fear of making mistakes and the desire to protect their children from harm. This duality captures the essence of parenting as a journey filled with both confidence and vulnerability.
Themes
ParentingUncertaintyConfidenceVulnerabilityMistakes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a parenting workshop to illustrate the common struggles parents face.
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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she told me she'd be a phoenix." The image of the mythical creature rising from the ashes glitters in my mind. "They don't really exist." "She said that depends on whether or not there's someone who can see them.
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for 100,000 (dollars), you [can] flatten a house with a wrecking ball. Imagine how much less it [takes] to destroy something than it [does] to build it in the first place.
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But if you seek forgiveness, doesn't that automatically mean you cannot be a monster? By definition, doesn't that desperation make you human again?
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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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