--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That's what we do. Embellish. Decorate…" description: "\"“That's what we do. Embellish. Decorate. Unvarnished truth has only limited appeal. Some events are a joy to recall, but others are best modified, even..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d01/linda-gillard-36778_fabric-of-life_that-s-what-we-do-embellish-decorate-unv_546592.jpg" --- # That's what we do. Embellish. Decorate. Unvarnished truth… ![“That's what we do. Embellish. Decorate. Unvarnished truth has only limited appeal. Some events are a joy to recall, but others are best modified, even forgotten. They live in some lumber-room of the mind, housed somewhere you wouldn't want to go alone and never after dark. If I make a mistake in…” quote by Linda Gillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d01/linda-gillard-36778_fabric-of-life_that-s-what-we-do-embellish-decorate-unv_546592.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d01/linda-gillard-36778_fabric-of-life_that-s-what-we-do-embellish-decorate-unv_546592.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d01/linda-gillard-36778_fabric-of-life_that-s-what-we-do-embellish-decorate-unv_546592.jpg) > ““That's what we do. Embellish. Decorate. Unvarnished truth has only limited appeal. Some events are a joy to recall, but others are best modified, even forgotten. They live in some lumber-room of the mind, housed somewhere you wouldn't want to go alone and never after dark. If I make a mistake in my work or if I change my mind, I can unpick. Undo what I've done. I can make good my errors and no one is the wiser. If they looked, even through a magnifying glass, all observers would see would be the tiny holes where my needle had travelled. I can erase even that evidence by scratching carefully at the weave of the lining with my needle, until the holes are no longer visible. But life isn't like that. Mistakes once made are rarely reversible. The holes they leave in the fabric of life aren't tiny and they can't be scratched away. You have to live with them as best you can. Work round them. That's why you have to come to terms with memory. You can't obliterate the past or eradicate it from the mind, even when, for our own good, memory enfolds us in a blanket of forgetfulness. There are always traces left, marks where time gripped us and left its telltale fingerprint.”” [Linda Gillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-gillard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acknowledges that while minor errors can be hidden, profound mistakes leave lasting marks that must be accepted and integrated. **In simple terms:** Big mistakes leave lasting scars. Key Takeaway Accept and work around irreversible errors. Themes memory mistakes acceptance imperfection Mood reflective somber Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - therapy - creative work - historical analysis Key Concepts philosophy psychology human experience Questions to Reflect On - How do we balance forgetting and remembering? - What role does memory play in personal identity? A Different Perspective Denial of past harms can impede healing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fabric of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fabric-of-life/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [The mind, when housed within a healthful body, possesses a glorious sense of power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-pilates/the-mind-when-housed-within-a-healthful-body-possesses-a-glorious/) [Joseph Pilates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-pilates/) > [The unvarnished truth is that we have spent the last decade funding the machinery of war, and our children have been sacrificed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/levar-burton/the-unvarnished-truth-is-that-we-have-spent-the-last-decade-funding/) [LeVar Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/levar-burton/) > [“Mothers were the only ones you could depend on to tell the whole, unvarnished truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-dilloway/mothers-were-the-only-ones-you-could-depend-on-to-tell-the-whole/) Margaret Dilloway > [Why do I write? The truth, the unvarnished truth, is that I haven't a clue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-naylor/why-do-i-write-the-truth-the-unvarnished-truth-is-that-i-haven-t-a/) [Gloria Naylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-naylor/) > [No people in the world other than the English would have had the courage, in the midst of war, to tell the people such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-walbrook/no-people-in-the-world-other-than-the-english-would-have-had-the/) Anton Walbrook > [The plain, unvarnished truth is, that every one of us needs the accountability that comes from formal, regular, intimate relationships with other godly people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-mack/the-plain-unvarnished-truth-is-that-every-one-of-us-needs-the/) [Wayne Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-mack/) > [The unvarnished truth is that almost all the people you meet feel themselves superior to you in some way, and a sure way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/the-unvarnished-truth-is-that-almost-all-the-people-you-meet-feel/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [The plain, unvarnished truth is that public education is a shoddy, fraudulent piece of goods sold t to the public at an astronomical price.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-blumenfeld/the-plain-unvarnished-truth-is-that-public-education-is-a-shoddy/) Samuel Blumenfeld > [The reality of music itself, which is the fabric of life for me, is where most of my attention is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/the-reality-of-music-itself-which-is-the-fabric-of-life-for-me-is/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [The patient person accepts a certain amount of failure knowing that it is as important a thread in the fabric of life as is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-waitley/the-patient-person-accepts-a-certain-amount-of-failure-knowing-that/) [Denis Waitley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-waitley/) > [Evolution isn't just a story about where we came from. It's an epic at the center of life itself. Far from robbing our lives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-r-miller/evolution-isn-t-just-a-story-about-where-we-came-from-it-s-an-epic-at/) [Kenneth R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-r-miller/) > [“The more we see that life isn’t about an individualistic challenge to conquer or overcome, and the more we see that, instead, we’re in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-d-maurer/the-more-we-see-that-life-isn-t-about-an-individualistic-challenge-to/) [Daniel D. Maurer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-d-maurer/) > [True friends are like tightly interwoven threads running with exactness, consistency, beauty and strength through the fabric of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruho-marvin/true-friends-are-like-tightly-interwoven-threads-running-with/) [Aruho Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aruho-marvin/) > [Topographically the country is magnificent - and terrifying. Why terrifying? Because nowhere else in the world is the divorce between man and nature so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/topographically-the-country-is-magnificent-and-terrifying-why/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [When learning is recognized in the fabric of life and encouraged, when families make their decisions based on what leads to more interesting and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-dodd/when-learning-is-recognized-in-the-fabric-of-life-and-encouraged-when/) [Sandra Dodd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-dodd/) ## More by Linda Gillard > [“Em's the first woman I've met who seems to be...well, the answer.' 'Answer to what?' He shrugged. 'All the questions, I suppose.' Fay looked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-gillard/em-s-the-first-woman-i-ve-met-who-seems-to-be-well-the-answer-answer/) [Linda Gillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-gillard/) > [“I poured myself another glass of wine (white, now warm and disgusting, but I was in a masochistic mood)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-gillard/i-poured-myself-another-glass-of-wine-white-now-warm-and-disgusting/) [Linda Gillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-gillard/) > [“It's been a long time, you see. There's been no one for five years. Not since Gavin. I've spent five years murdering what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-gillard/it-s-been-a-long-time-you-see-there-s-been-no-one-for-five-years-not/) [Linda Gillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-gillard/) > [“I am safe. For one night at least. 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I occupy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-gillard/i-am-an-anomaly-a-woman-alone-too-young-to-be-widowed-and-too-old-to/) [Linda Gillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-gillard/) > [“summer ends and autumn begins. The trees retract their sap in a hurry and the resulting bright colours must be a panic-stricken response to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-gillard/summer-ends-and-autumn-begins-the-trees-retract-their-sap-in-a-hurry/) [Linda Gillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-gillard/) > [“As I stared out of the train window, the scenery became a blur, as unclear as my thoughts and feelings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-gillard/as-i-stared-out-of-the-train-window-the-scenery-became-a-blur-as/) [Linda Gillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-gillard/) > [“I had to ask myself, why I was sensing a twinge of something that felt suspiciously like nostalgia. 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I never know what I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-gillard/you-re-like-a-box-of-chocolates-with-the-menu-missing-the-card-that/) [Linda Gillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-gillard/) [Explore all 12 Linda Gillard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-gillard/) ## More Fabric of life quotes > [When learning is recognized in the fabric of life and encouraged, when families make their decisions based on what leads to more interesting and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-dodd/when-learning-is-recognized-in-the-fabric-of-life-and-encouraged-when/) [Sandra Dodd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-dodd/) > [Topographically the country is magnificent - and terrifying. Why terrifying? Because nowhere else in the world is the divorce between man and nature so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/topographically-the-country-is-magnificent-and-terrifying-why/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [True friends are like tightly interwoven threads running with exactness, consistency, beauty and strength through the fabric of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruho-marvin/true-friends-are-like-tightly-interwoven-threads-running-with/) [Aruho Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aruho-marvin/) > [“The more we see that life isn’t about an individualistic challenge to conquer or overcome, and the more we see that, instead, we’re in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-d-maurer/the-more-we-see-that-life-isn-t-about-an-individualistic-challenge-to/) [Daniel D. Maurer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-d-maurer/) > [Evolution isn't just a story about where we came from. It's an epic at the center of life itself. Far from robbing our lives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-r-miller/evolution-isn-t-just-a-story-about-where-we-came-from-it-s-an-epic-at/) [Kenneth R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-r-miller/) > [The patient person accepts a certain amount of failure knowing that it is as important a thread in the fabric of life as is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-waitley/the-patient-person-accepts-a-certain-amount-of-failure-knowing-that/) [Denis Waitley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-waitley/) > [The reality of music itself, which is the fabric of life for me, is where most of my attention is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/the-reality-of-music-itself-which-is-the-fabric-of-life-for-me-is/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [Nowhere on the shore is the relation of a creature to its surroundings a matter of a single cause and effect; each living thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/nowhere-on-the-shore-is-the-relation-of-a-creature-to-its/) [Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/) > [“...he liked his transcendence out in plain sight where he could keep an eye on it -- say, in a nice stained-glass window --…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/he-liked-his-transcendence-out-in-plain-sight-where-he-could-keep-an/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“It seemed to him that there was a scarlet thread running through the fabric of life, one that joined events across the years, piercing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wynne/it-seemed-to-him-that-there-was-a-scarlet-thread-running-through-the/) Douglas Wynne > [One can be absolutely truthful and sincere even though admittedly the most outrageous liar. Fiction and invention are of the very fabric of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/one-can-be-absolutely-truthful-and-sincere-even-though-admittedly-the-2/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 Moralities, ethics, laws, customs, beliefs, doctrines - these are of trifling import. All that matters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/1-2-3-4-5-moralities-ethics-laws-customs-beliefs-doctrines-these-are/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [I spend a lot of time looking at rococo books. And almanacs used to be huge sellers - they were pretty much part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-schott/i-spend-a-lot-of-time-looking-at-rococo-books-and-almanacs-used-to-be/) [Ben Schott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-schott/) > [What evolution tells us is that we are part of a grand, dynamic, and ever-changing fabric of life that covers our planet. Even to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-r-miller/what-evolution-tells-us-is-that-we-are-part-of-a-grand-dynamic-and/) [Kenneth R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-r-miller/) > [And I've been waiting for you, because I couldn't do anything else. And we've both known that we would meet again, and then it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ndor-m-rai/and-i-ve-been-waiting-for-you-because-i-couldn-t-do-anything-else-and/) [Sándor Márai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ndor-m-rai/) [Browse all 33 Fabric of life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fabric-of-life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“That's what we do. Embellish. Decorate. Unvarnished truth has only limited appeal. Some events are a joy to recall, but others are best modified, even forgotten. They live in some lumber-room of the mind, housed somewhere you wouldn't want to go alone and never after dark. If I make a mistake in my work or if I change my mind, I can unpick. Undo what I've done. I can make good my errors and no one is the wiser. If they looked, even through a magnifying glass, all observers would see would be the tiny holes where my needle had travelled. I can erase even that evidence by scratching carefully at the weave of the lining with my needle, until the holes are no longer visible. But life isn't like that. Mistakes once made are rarely reversible. The holes they leave in the fabric of life aren't tiny and they can't be scratched away. You have to live with them as best you can. Work round them. That's why you have to come to terms with memory. You can't obliterate the past or eradicate it from the mind, even when, for our own good, memory enfolds us in a blanket of forgetfulness. 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