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
Turn around, and the people you thought you knew might change. Your little boy might now live half a world away. Your beautiful daughter might be sneaking out at night. Your ex-husband might by dying by degrees. This is the reason that dancers learn, early on, how to spot while doing pirouettes: we all want to be able to find the place where we started.
Interpretation
What this quote means
People change over time, and we must adapt to those changes while remembering our roots.
This quote highlights the inevitable changes that occur in our relationships and lives as time passes. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing these changes and understanding that our perception of those we know may shift, urging us to maintain a connection to our origins and what once was, despite the transformations that life brings.
Themes
ChangeRelationshipsGrowthAdaptationMemory
In practice
Example use cases
This quote is perfect for a family reunion to highlight how relationships evolve.
More from Jodi Picoult
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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
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