The Woman Who Came Home Quotes

“I felt a bit like the vast banks of magnificent clouds I saw out of the airplane window, directionless, grounded nowhere, without any roots, empty and at the mercy of the winds that blew them any which way.”
― Penny De Villiers, The Woman Who Came Home

“Suppression also played another tragic role. By burying my pain, by avoiding my heartaches, I lost touch with knowing and owning what was important to me.
I no longer went within, which was a scary road. If you were once attacked on a road, you make sure to avoid it. But the avoidance means you also miss out on the wild flowers when they’re blooming, the snow-capped mountains in winter, the waterfall, the deer, the beautiful people, like Tony, who walk there every day. You also miss out on knowing yourself better, on understanding what is important to you.”
― Penny De Villiers, The Woman Who Came Home

“I felt an inner peace and softness. My Berlin Wall had been cracked; the toxic relationship between me and that critical voice had been severed.”
― Penny De Villiers, The Woman Who Came Home: Walking back into my life

“Oh my gosh! I was a hamster on the conditioned wheel of self-improvement.
I never truly respected or valued my uniqueness as a human being. I never felt that I was a beautiful rose in life’s garden, because I spent my life comparing myself to other, brighter, multicoloured species, and they often made me look dull.”
― Penny De Villiers, The Woman Who Came Home

“The power of really seeing things as they are is the most under-valued gift you can give yourself.”
― Penny De Villiers, The Woman Who Came Home

“I had never experienced the intense healing effect of another loving you, of their kind words. The illumination of my inner beauty had been initiated. Non-judgmental awareness is the most powerful tool for change. Could I look at my life without criticism? Without comparison? Could I simply look as a witness to my own life? Could I see my life through Tony’s loving eyes and observe without criticism?
This was to be a massive part of my journey home.”
― Penny De Villiers, The Woman Who Came Home: Walking back into my life

“Contentment arrives when we cease to indulge in petty comparisons, and I became happy because I was tired of striving toward the next big thing, which was more like a mirage than a miracle.”
― Penny De Villiers, The Woman Who Came Home

“We need to be present in our love story, watching, listening, and most importantly being aware of our own behaviours without judgment – present, living life in each second as it unfolds.
And if like me, your Albie goes away, because like ours your roots didn’t go all the way underground, shed your tears, acknowledge your heartache, and know that there is never an end to a love story. Because relationships end but love stays emblazoned in your heart, the experience of tremendous beauty written in your very being, making your light brighter and the world a more beautiful place for all.”
― Penny De Villiers, The Woman Who Came Home