Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Tayari Jones

Quote by Tayari Jones

Work

An American Marriage

Browse quotes and source details for this work. more

Author

Tayari Jones
Tayari Jones

Tayari Jones is an American author born on November 30, 1970. Her works primarily focus on the lives of African American women, particularly those facing challenges related to race, class, and gender. Jones is celebrated for her deep character development and emotional expression in her writing. more

You May Also Like

“The mature response, however, is not to leave; it's to change -- ourselves. Whenever marital dissatisfaction rears its head in my marriage -- as it does in virtually every marriage -- I simply check my focus. The times that I am happiest and most fulfilled in my marriage are the times when I am intent on drawing meaning and fulfillment from becoming a better husband rather than from demanding a "better" wife. If you're a Christian, the reality is that, biblically speaking, you can't swap your spouse for someone else. But you can change yourself. And that change can bring the fulfillment that you mistakenly believe is found only by changing partners. In one sense, it's comical: Yes, we need a changed partner, but the partner that needs to change is not our spouse, it's us! I don't know why this works. I don't know how you can be unsatisfied maritally, and then offer yourself to God to bring about change in your life and suddenly find yourself more satisfied with the same spouse. I don't why this works, only that it does work. It takes time, and by time I mean maybe years. But if your heart is driven by the desire to draw near to Jesus, you find joy by becoming like Jesus. You'll never find joy by doing something that offends Jesus -- such as instigating a divorce or an affair.”

Marriage
Book:Sacred Marriage: What If God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy?
Create image

“Relationships be it dating or marriage, can be viewed as the needle and thread. You cannot sew a fabric with just the needle or the thread. You will need both to get started. It takes patience to thread the needle. The more you learn the technique, the better you will get at it in the future. The same applies to your relationship. Be patient with each other.”

LoveMarriageDatingPatienceTrue LoveCoachingRelationship GoalsPatience And LoveRelationship QuoteGrown Love
Book:Love, Sex, Lies and Reality
Create image

“Your mother was a hero. She developed a spell for gnomeatic fever. And she was the youngest headmaster in Watford history.” Baz is looking at Penny like they’ve never met. “And,” Penny goes on, “she defended your father in three duels before he accepted her proposal.” “That sounds barbaric,” I say. “It was traditional,” Baz says. “It was brilliant,” Penny says. “I’ve read the minutes.” “Where?” Baz asks her. “We have them in our library at home,” she says “My dad loves marriage rites. Any sort of family magic, actually. He and my mother are bound together in five dimensions.”

MarriageHumourParents
Book:Carry On
Create image

“What young people didn’t know, she thought, lying down beside this man, his hand on her shoulder, her arm; oh, what young people did not know. They did not know that lumpy, aged, and wrinkled bodies were as needy as their own young, firm ones, that love was not to be tossed away carelessly, as if it were a tart on a platter with others that got passed around again. No, if love was available, one chose it, or didn’t choose it. And if her platter had been full with the goodness of Henry and she had found it burdensome, had flicked it off crumbs at a time, it was because she had not known what one should know: that day after day was unconsciously squandered. And so, if this man next to her now was not a man she would have chosen before this time, what did it matter: He most likely wouldn’t have chosen her either. But here they were, and Olive pictured two slices of Swiss cheese pressed together, such holes they brought to this union—what pieces life took out of you. Her eyes were closed, and throughout her tired self swept waves of gratitude—and regret. She pictured the sunny room, the sun-washed wall, the bayberry outside. It baffled her, the world. She did not want to leave it yet.”

MarriageGrowing Older
Author:Elizabeth Strout
Create image