We like to pretend that our generous impulses come naturally. But the reality is we often become our kindest, most ethical selves only by seeing what… - Cheryl Strayed

But the reality is we often become our kindest, most ethical selves only by seeing what it feels like to be a selfish jackass first.

Our most meaningful relationships are often those that continued beyond the juncture at which they came closest to ending.

our most meaningful relationships are so often those that continued beyond the very juncture at which they came the closest to ending.

we often become our kindest, most ethical selves only by seeing what it feels like to be selfish assholes first.

The father’s job is to teach his children how to be warriors, to give them the confidence to get on the horse and ride into battle when it’s necessary to do so. If you don’t get that from your father, you have to teach yourself

I lay down in the mother ash dirt among the crocuses and told her it was okay. That I'd surrendered. That since she died, everything had changed. Things she couldn't have imagined and wouldn't have guessed. My words came out low and steadfast. I was so sad it felt as if someone were choking me, and yet it seemed my whole life depended on my getting those words out. She would always be my mother, I told her, but I had to go. She wasn't there for me in that flowerbed anymore anyway, I explained. I'd put her somewhere else. The only place I could reach her. In me.

Fear, to a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell myself a different story from the one women are told. I decided I was safe. I was strong. I was brave. Nothing could vanquish me. Insisting on this story was a form of mind control, but for the most part, it worked. Every time I heard a sound of unknown origin or felt something horrible cohering in my imagination, I pushed it away. I simply did not let myself become afraid. Fear begets fear. Power begets power. I willed myself to beget power.