“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 don't believe she did. She said some things about fear, but not that thing.”
— Mary Schmich
Fear
“You can map your life through your favorite movies, and no two people's maps will be the same.”
— Mary Schmich
Movies
“The movies we love and admire are to some extent a function of who we are when we see them.”
— Mary Schmich
Movies
“Here's a thing about the death of your mother, or anyone else you love: You can't anticipate how you'll feel afterward. People will tell you a few may be close to right, none exactly right.”
— Mary Schmich
Death
“Like many women my age, I am 28 years old.”
— Mary Schmich
Age
“For some Chicago expats, food is the medicine that blunts the pain of separation.”
— Mary Schmich
Food
“I couldn't have foreseen all the good things that have followed my mother's 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
Death
“Don't waste time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind.”
— Mary Schmich
Jealousy
“Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you'll have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either of them might run out.”
— Mary Schmich
Trust
“You can figure out who you were by which movies you loved when.”
— Mary Schmich
Movies