When he is late for dinner and I know he must be either having an affair or lying dead in the street, I always hope he's dead. Judith Viorst More Quotes by Judith Viorst More Quotes From Judith Viorst the lives we lead are determined, for better and worse, by our loss experiences. Judith Viorst determinedloss Superstition is foolish, childish, primitive and irrational - but how much does it cost you to knock on wood? Judith Viorst superstitionscostdoe Losing is the price we pay for living. It is also the source of much of our growth and gain. Judith Viorst growthlosspay For we lose not only by death, but also by leaving and being left, by changing and letting go and moving on. Judith Viorst leavingletting-gomoving It is true that the present is powerfully shaped by the past. But it is also true that ... insight at any age keeps us from singing the same sad songs again. Judith Viorst singingsongpast Love is the same as like except you feel sexier. Judith Viorst short-lovefeelslove Love is much nicer to be in than an automobile accident, a tight girdle, a higher tax bracket or a holding pattern over Philadelphia. Judith Viorst valentines-daylovefunny A normal adolescent isn't a normal adolescent Judith Viorst normalifs Just as children, step by step, must separate from their parents, we will have to separate from them. And we will probably suffer...from some degree of separation anxiety: because separation ends sweet symbiosis. Because separation reduces our power and control. Because separation makes us feel less needed, less important. And because separation exposes our children to danger. Judith Viorst parentsweetchildren Late birds get worms while early birds get tired. Judith Viorst wormstiredbird Our daily existence requires both closeness and distance, the wholeness of self, the wholeness of intimacy. Judith Viorst intimacydistanceself Telling a lie is called wrong. Telling the truth is called right. Except when telling the truth is called bad manners and telling a lie is called polite. Judith Viorst truth-istelling-the-truthlying Craving that old sweet oneness yet dreading engulfment, wishing to be our mother's and yet be our own, we stormily swing from mood to mood, advancing and retreating-the quintessential model of two-mindedness. Judith Viorst swingsmothersweet Suffering makes you deep. Travel makes you broad. In case I get my pick, I'd rather travel. Judith Viorst broadssufferingtravel Being in love is better than being in jail, a dentist's chair, or a holding pattern over Philadelphia, but not if he doesn't love you back. Judith Viorst being-in-lovelove-youlove-is We grow because the clamorous, permanent presence of our children forces us to put their needs before ours. We grow because our love for our children urges us to change as nothing else in our lives has the power to do. We grow (if we're willing to grow, that is: not every parent is willing) because being a parent helps us stop being a child. Judith Viorst parentchildrenneeds we love as soon as we learn to distinguish a separate 'you' and 'me.' Love is our attempt to assuage the terror and isolation of that separateness. Judith Viorst isolationterrorlove-is Our early lessons in love and our developmental history shape the expectations we bring into marriage. Judith Viorst lessonsshapesexpectations A normal adolescent is so restless and twitchy and awkward that he can mange to injure his knee--not playing soccer, not playing football--but by falling off his chair in the middle of French class. Judith Viorst footballsoccerfall Our ego ideal is precious to us because it repairs a loss of our earlier childhood, the loss of our image of self as perfect and whole, the loss of a major portion of our infantile, limitless, ain't-I-wonderful narcissism which we had to give up in the face of compelling reality. Modified and reshaped into ethical goals and moral standards and a vision of what at our finest we might be, our dream of perfection lives on--our lost narcissism lives on--in our ego ideal. Judith Viorst growing-upgiving-updream
