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Jen Quesnel's avatar

It’s incredibly heartening to know someone else’s brain plays tricks on them too. Mine likes to pretend five minutes is enough to sort the laundry, put on a full face of makeup or arrange yet another kid-commitment.

Dear brain: take the five minutes and breathe.

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Alice Kuipers's avatar

Right? ❤️❤️❤️

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Bernie L Cruikshank's avatar

I don't know how I missed this in February -- maybe because I was away? I LOVE that book and still read it to my grandkids and often wish they would give me 5 minutes peace even though I love them to death. I love how that 5 minutes can feel like an eternity when the world zones away. Perhaps the perfect motivation for the ghastly even will rise up in that time or a sweet sentence will flow out of your vein. Maybe it's just a post it note (still love that book) snippet of a feeling but it's 5 minutes where you embraced the inside of your mind instead of cleaning the drawer or checking emails. Your lake pictures are awesome~ah yes that cold and the first breath!

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Alice Kuipers's avatar

My sister-in-law told me a story that I’ll have to share foe you about five minutes—we’re travelling with the kids and so everything writerly is a little faded from my life but your comment made me think of the pictures in the book and how I really DO need five minutes but won’t get them right now ❤️

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Angie Kim's avatar

Thank you so much for reading Happiness Falls! And yes, LOVE the whole five-minute pause (especially by a lake)!

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Alice Kuipers's avatar

I immediately followed up with Miracle Creek, which I finished after three far too late nights. It's also brilliant--such terrific writing and thematic and characters. I admire both so much. Thanks for writing them and for taking time to comment here.

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