Change in life Quote by Deb Caletti
““There was something about her mouth that made me feel possibilities...the way a train ticket holds possibilities, the way a boat docked at sunset does, the way a voice on the radio announcing victory does. A mouth can have that it can seem brave, and bold. Finite and infinite. After a war, you need both of those things. "Why don't you kiss me, she said. "Celebrate a new world." And so I did. I could not forget that kiss. I still cannot. I put my fingertips to her face. Indeed,changed that day, but the change in life was no smaller or less significant. The moment took my sorrow and made it swarm the streets in victory, shouting in joy and rightness, and from that I have never quite recovered.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood, 2013
A lover’s kiss can transform grief into triumph, merging finite sorrow with infinite possibility, reshaping life’s meaning after conflict.
In simple terms: A kiss can turn pain into joy and change life.
Key Takeaway
Embrace moments that turn sorrow into celebration.
Themes
love
transformation
war
grief
joy
Mood
hopeful
reflective
intense
Type
literary
emotional
philosophical
When to use this quote
- intimate relationships
- personal loss
- celebrations
- after conflict
- creative expression
Key Concepts
psychology
metaphor
memory
identity
postwar healing
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you find joy after loss?
- What does “finite and infinite” mean to you?
A Different Perspective
The metaphor may romanticize pain, overlooking real trauma.
