Books

11 Uplifting Quotes From 'Anne Of Green Gables,' Because 2018 Is Kind Of The Worst

by Kerri Jarema
Netflix

L.M Montgomery's Anne Shirley, the heroine of her Anne of Green Gables series, is one of literature's most beloved characters, and for good reason. Though I loved the original PBS miniseries as a kid, I didn't read the books until I was in my mid-twenties. And I'm still a little blown away by just how much the series has come to mean to me in my adulthood. Not only has Anne helped me cope when I feel anxious about the state of the world, but I'm continuing to learn valuable life lessons from Anne Shirley and her adolescence on Prince Edward Island. Because perhaps the most valuable thing about Montgomery's series is how she seamlessly combines the cruelties of the world with the magic of it, never shying away from the many ways that happiness and sorrow walk hand-in-hand, even down cherry blossom filled lanes.

In 2018, that pairing of sorrow and happiness is never far from my mind, and I'm sure it's the same for many of us. But the older I get the more I turn to Anne Shirley, who is honestly a perfect example of all the things I most want to embrace in the years to come: giving myself permission to dream despite the demands of reality; remaining a loving a faithful friend; being afraid but doing what I want to do anyway; learning from my many mistakes; and being eternally optimistic, no matter how many hardships life throws your way. If you want to follow Anne's example in the last half of the year and beyond, these 11 quotes from Anne of Green Gables are a great reminder to do just that.

“It’s been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will.”

“Oh, it’s delightful to have ambitions. I’m so glad I have such a lot. And there never seems to be any end to them — that’s the best of it. Just as soon as you attain to one ambition you see another one glittering higher up still. It does make life so interesting.”

“It’s so hard to get up again  —  although of course the harder it is the more satisfaction you have when you do get up, haven’t you?”

“I went looking for my dreams outside of myself and discovered, it’s not what the world holds for you, it’s what you bring to it.”

“You mayn’t get the things themselves; but nothing can prevent you from having the fun of looking forward to them.”

“Tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it yet.”

“Isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive  — it's such an interesting world. It wouldn't be half so interesting if we know all about everything, would it?"

“Next to trying and winning, the best thing is trying and failing.”

“Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.”

“But really, Marilla, one can't stay sad very long in such an interesting world, can one?”

“I don't know what lies around the bend, but I'm going to believe that the best does.”