“As I child, I came to this idea with a horrified fascination.
once upon a time, I wasn’t here.
before that, my parents weren’t here.
and before that…”
( John Burnside, A Lie About My Father: A Memoir )
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“Family' is not just a biological word, it's an an operative one.”
( Andrew Vachss )
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“You really are like him, your father."
"I can't tell whether you think that's good or bad."
"What does it matter? It's simply true.”
( Victoria Schwab, The Near Witch )
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“Only the family, society's smallest unit, can change and yet maintain enough continuity to rear children who will not be "strangers in a strange land," who will be rooted firmly enough to grow and adapt.”
( Salvador Minuchin, Families and Family Therapy )
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“Blood is thicker than water, I know, but it's unnatural stuff to drink so much of.
( The Wife Of Ted Wickham )
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“I think that is the very definition of a family:
a group of individuals, bound by the essence of love,
who share a life together and yet maintain their unique individuality.”
( Kathy Magliato )
***
“I also have an extended family :
The people who stayed.
The people who became more than friends; the people who open the door when I knock.
That's what it all boils down to.
The people who have to open the door, not because they always want to but because they do.”
( Diane Keaton )
***
“Perhaps family itself, like beauty, is temporary, and no discredit need attach to impermanence.”
( Gregory Maguire, A Lion Among Men )
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“Your own family resemblances are a frustrating code, most easily read by those who know you least.”
( Barbara Kingsolver )
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“Other things may change us, but we start and end with the family.”
( Anthony Brandt )
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“I know why families were created with all their imperfections.
They humanize you.
They are made to make you forget yourself occasionally, so that the beautiful balance of life is not destroyed.”
( Anais Nin )
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“Remember to say "I love you" to family and friends not just your significant other.”
( Vianka Van Bokkem )
***
“Ironically, girls who don't think so much about their family and are a little bit self-centred are not only happier themselves but also maintain good relationships with their families.”
( Farahad Zama )
***
“Having a family is like having a bowling alley installed in your brain.”
( Martin Mull )
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“As goes the family, so goes the faith; as goes the faith, so goes the culture.”
( Kenneth L. Gentry Jr. )
***
“I liked having some time to myself.
Our family was such a close one, you could get smothered.
Of course, we didn't always agree with one another.
Sometimes I quarreled with my brother and sisters, but I couldn't remember hating anyone for more than five minutes.”
( Gloria Whelan, Summer of the War )
***
“What is family?
They were the people who claimed you.
In good, in bad, in parts or in whole, they were the ones who showed up, who stayed there, regardless.”
( Sarah Dessen )
***
“You need to make time for your family no matter what happens in your life”
( Matthew Quick, The Silver Linings Playbook )
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“To us, Family means putting your arms around each other and being there.”
( Barbara Bush )
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“Families are the compass that guide us.
They are the inspiration to reach great heights, and our comfort when we occasionally falter”
( Brad Henry )
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“Since that night I have come to understand that sometimes the best families of all are those we create ourselves, the people we choose to be with.”
( Silas House )
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“A family is a mystery.”
( Sharon Olds )
***
