A good saying can get you through all eventualities of life, from the cradle to the grave (life is full of clichés too – there is a difference!). There are adages we come back to simply because they help us strive to be our best, bring us inspiration or act as comfort blankets soothing our troubles. Often we don’t know the source of the words, for instance: ‘Hearts are made to be broken,’ was first penned in Oscar Wilde’s De Profundis, but for me it’s something my mother repeated when I had boyfriend problems. Likewise, when a friend said: ‘Be the heroine of your life, not the victim,’ I was impressed with her wisdom until I chanced upon the source in Nora Ephron’s book, I Feel Bad about My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman.
Some expressions aren’t attributable to anyone, yet they are powerful tools. Many of my favourites I’ve inherited from my grandmother Dolly Delaney, a woman of Irish descent with a massive heart and anthology of anecdotes. ‘Better late, than early in heaven,’ she screeched if anyone drove too fast when she was in the passenger seat. I’ve repeated it to many speedy drivers and not only have they slowed down but we’ve had a good laugh about it – it’s a great saying that needs to live on.