Now, now," my father said. "Let's just get the bags." This was typical. My father, the lone male in our estrogen-heavy household, had always dealt with any kind of emotional situation or conflict by doing something concrete and specific. Discussion of cramps and heavy flow at the breakfast table? He was up and out the door to change oil on one of our cars. Coming home in tears for reasons you just didn't want to discuss? He'd go make you a grilled cheese, which he'd probably end up eating. Family crisis brewing in a public place? Bags. Get the bags.
Sarah DessenThe point,' Ms. Conyers continued, "is that no word had one specific definition. Maybe in the dictionary, but not in real life.
Sarah DessenAnd I felt a sudden whirl in my head, knowing this leap was inevitable, that I wasn't just standing on the cliff, toes poking over, but already in mid-air.
Sarah DessenBeing brave and self-confident doesn't necessarily start inside...It starts with the rest of the world, and it leads back to you.
Sarah DessenThat was the thing: Once, the difference between light and dark had been basic. One was good, one bad. Suddenly, though, things werenโt so clear. The dark was still a mystery, something hidden, something to be scared of, but Iโd come to fear the light, too. It was where everything was revealed, or seemed to be. Eyes closed, I saw only the blackness, reminding me of this one thing, the most deep of my secrets; eyes open, there was only the world that didnโt know it, bright, inescapable, and somehow, still there.
Sarah Dessen