Kimberly Williams-Paisley

"What’s this like for you?” “It’s hard,” she said, and paused to think for a moment. “But I often find that messy, complicated situations bring people closer than we would be otherwise."

"This is what I came up with: My mother is not only presenting me an opportunity to love unconditionally, she’s also allowing me to practice being comfortable with what is uncomfortable. To grieve and also embrace what is broken. To know that some days I can receive who my mother is now and some days I struggle with it. To allow that two opposing thoughts may exist in my head at the same time."

"Ride the horse in the direction that it’s going.” Instead of wishing for things to be different, choose to embrace the life in front of you."

"And I understand now what she means about an empty space where a much-loved person used to be."

"It’ll be a good story one day,” Mom would always say at moments like this."

"Seek out adventures, she told us. Come back with stories."

"Turn anger into compassion, and fear into faith."

"My mother was teaching us not to shy away in the face of a challenge. Not to shrink from what was uncomfortable."

"She’s still that voice in my head that says, “Go for it! You can do it! Even if things are scary or difficult or you’ve never done them before, do them anyway!"