Kelly Corrigan Quotes

Powerful Kelly Corrigan for Daily Growth

About Kelly Corrigan

Kelly Corrigan is an American memoirist, essayist, and television producer, renowned for her insightful and emotionally resonant work that explores the complexities of human relationships and personal growth. Born on February 20, 1968, in Boston, Massachusetts, Corrigan spent her early years in the suburbs before moving to Ireland when she was twelve. This cultural shift profoundly influenced her writing, fostering a keen eye for detail and a deep empathy for the human experience. After returning to the United States, she attended Colby College, where she honed her storytelling skills through creative writing classes. Corrigan's first memoir, "The Middle Place," published in 2006, was a New York Times bestseller and earned her widespread acclaim. The book chronicles her struggles with family dynamics, balancing the expectations of her parents and children, and finding her own identity in the midst of these relationships. In 2010, she released "Glitter and Glue," another heartfelt memoir that delves into the bond between mothers and daughters, drawing from personal experiences with her own mother's illness. The book became a national bestseller and was a selection for Oprah's Book Club 2.0. Corrigan has also ventured into television production, serving as executive producer for "Story of a Marriage," a series based on memoirs by real couples that aired on OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network. Through her writing and television work, Kelly Corrigan continues to captivate audiences with her honest, poignant narratives about love, family, and the human condition. Her work serves as a testament to the power of storytelling in fostering empathy and understanding between people.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Family isn't an option, it's a sentence."

This quote by Kelly Corrigan emphasizes the notion that family is not a choice, but rather an inherent bond or obligation that one cannot escape. It suggests the idea of family as a commitment, a lifelong relationship that binds us, often irrespective of personal preferences or convenience. This perspective highlights the unique and enduring nature of familial ties, underscoring their role as fundamental elements in our lives.


"I have learned that love, like gravity, is indiscriminate and inescapable."

This quote suggests that love, much like the force of gravity, affects everyone and everything without distinction or exception. It implies that just as we are all pulled by gravity, we are also all susceptible to experiencing love, which can be a powerful and unavoidable force in our lives. In other words, love is an integral part of the human experience that transcends differences and influences us all.


"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass; it's about learning to dance in the rain."

This quote by Kelly Corrigan suggests that instead of hoping for life's challenges (the "storm") to disappear, we should learn to embrace them, find joy, and keep moving forward ("dancing in the rain"). It encourages resilience, adaptability, and the pursuit of happiness even in difficult circumstances. Essentially, it's a reminder that life is about making the best of every situation rather than just waiting for better days to come.


"The older I get, the more I realize that life is a series of small, everyday choices and how those choices define us."

This quote emphasizes that our lives are shaped by a multitude of small decisions we make every day. These seemingly trivial choices, when accumulated over time, have profound impacts on who we become and the paths our lives take. By making conscious and thoughtful choices, we can influence and define our own destinies.


"I've come to believe that the world is not necessarily meant for everyone, but everyone is meant for the world."

This quote by Kelly Corrigan suggests that each individual has a unique purpose or place in the world, and it's important to find and fulfill that role rather than striving to fit into every aspect of the world. In other words, everyone has a specific contribution to make, and it's through embracing our own selves and finding our individual paths that we can truly connect with and contribute to the global community.


Shortly before I turned 37 and my older daughter turned 3, I was diagnosed with breast cancer: stage III of IV.

- Kelly Corrigan

Before, Turned, III

Growing up, I saw my mother cry exactly once. The morning of her brother's funeral. One long tear ran down her cheek through her make up until she caught it near her mouth and patted it dry with a tissue she pulled from inside her sleeve.

- Kelly Corrigan

Through, Caught, Tissue, Ran

I almost threw up the first time I set foot inside the University of California, San Francisco's Comprehensive Care Center and joined the stream of thin, slow-moving, low-voiced, gray-skinned people. I didn't want to be one of the pitied, the struck-down.

- Kelly Corrigan

Inside, Francisco, Almost, Pitied

Cancer is a growth hormone for empathy, and empathy makes us useful to each other in ways we were not, could not have been, before.

- Kelly Corrigan

Empathy, Other, Been, Useful

The truth is, I'd like to be closer to my kids. I'd like to share more with them. But that's not what this time in their lives is about. This is their time to separate, to self-direct, to become independent.

- Kelly Corrigan

Independent, Separate, Lives, Closer

Moms in fiction and memoir get a bad rap.

- Kelly Corrigan

Memoir, Rap, Bad Rap, Moms

I moved from Philadelphia to California when I was 25, after traveling abroad for a year. I thought I'd come home eventually and settle down, but I didn't.

- Kelly Corrigan

Thought, Year, Abroad, Philadelphia

It's funny, I'd rather be known as a writer who crafted a really nice piece about women's friendships over time. But that doesn't roll off the tongue like 'YouTube sensation.'

- Kelly Corrigan

YouTube, Over, Rather, Crafted

I am an average mother in almost every way, so yes, much to my regret, I do yell at my children.

- Kelly Corrigan

Regret, Average, Almost, Yell

It's clear to you immediately that you can have anything you want when you have cancer.

- Kelly Corrigan

Cancer, Want, Clear, Immediately

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