“For many years, I tried to measure the oft-times quiet, reflective Pat Holland against the robust, bubbly, talkative, and energetic Jeff Holland, and others with like qualities. I have learned through several fatiguing failures that you can’t have joy being bubbly if you’re not a bubbly person. ... I have given up seeing myself as a flawed person. ... Giving this up has freed me to embrace and rejoice in my own manner and personality. ...

“My personality was created to fit precisely the mission and talents [God] gave me. ... I have found that I have untold abundant sources of energy to be myself. But the moment I indulge in imitation of my neighbor, I feel fractured and fatigued and find myself forever swimming upstream. When we frustrate God’s plan for us, we deprive this world and God’s kingdom of our unique contributions, and a serious schism settles in our soul. God never gave us any task beyond our ability to accomplish it. We just have to be willing to do it our own way. We will always have enough resources for being who we are and what we can become.”

This quote can be found in the section Divine Purpose in the book An Eye Single.

“She was only able to think and write something like that because she earned it. It was hard fought. ...

“Sometimes we can think, oh, well, she’s just naturally so loving and naturally has such good self-confidence and relationship with the Lord. But my mom had to earn that in the way that each of us do. ... She did that primarily ... through her love of the scriptures and through prayer. But also, through coming to accept who she was. It was a lifelong process.”