A line from one of my 1997 columns – Do one thing every day that scares you – is now widely attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt, though I have yet to see any evidence that she ever said it and I dont believe she did. She said some things about fear, but not that thing. – Mary Schmich
For some Chicago expats, food is the medicine that blunts the pain of separation. – Mary Schmich
I couldnt have foreseen all the good things that have followed my mothers death. The renewed energy, the surprising sweetness of grief. The tenderness I feel for strangers on walkers. The deeper love I have for my siblings and friends. The desire to play the mandolin. The gift of a visitation. – Mary Schmich
Dont expect anyone else to support you. Maybe youll have a trust fund. Maybe youll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either of them might run out. – Mary Schmich
My greatest fear is feeling like a professional novelist. Somebody who creates characters, who sits down and has pieces of paper taped to the wall – whats going to happen in this scene, or this act. What I like is for it to be a much more scary, sloppy reflection of who I am. – Jonathan Safran Foer
I dont know Who — or what — put the question, I dont know when it was put. I dont even remember answering. But at some moment I did answer Yes to Someone –or Something –and from that hour I was certain that existence is meaningful and that, therefore, my life, in self-surrender, had a goal. – Dag Hammarskjold