The Summer Girls

Friends come and go. But through the thick and thin, the good and bad, you can only ever count on your family. That's the heart of it. Family.

I know I can't change the past. Not my mistakes or the mistakes of others. But I can begin by changing me.

Sometimes people get angry and do things they shouldn't. Things they regret.

To her mind, when you were drowning and a rope was thrown your way, you didn't waste time thinking about what to do. You just grabbed it, then kicked and swam like the devil to safety.

Such was the burden of a long life. There were too many good-byes, so many sunrises and sunsets, memories joyous and painful.

That’s all any of us can do, my dear. We wake up, bolster our resolve, and rise to face the new day. Or else lie in bed and waste our lives.

I’m sure that’s true. Nonetheless, Nate has to learn to face the consequences of his actions. You will not be able to protect him from all of life’s difficult moments, you know. No parent can. All we can do is to let him go through them and learn from them. To give him the tools he needs.

Her love for Mamaw had always been like that porch light, the one true shining light in her heart when the world proved dark and scary.

Mamaw lounged in her robe on the back porch, feet up on the ottoman, sipping coffee and reading the Post & Courier. Today was her birthday! Eighty years of living . . . Who’d have guessed it? She felt she’d earned the right to be decadently lazy today. Her past was behind her and she’d lived a full life. She didn’t like to think her best was behind her as well, but she was realistic that this might be true. Still, it was a blessing to live long enough to see your children grow and prosper and procreate and to witness another generation carrying the torch. As it was a curse to outlive your children, your husband, your friends

Rather than feel small, however, in this arena she felt part of something much bigger than herself. This gave her both a sense of power and peace.

Sometimes she's so stuck up she'd drown in a rainstorm.