Quotes by Maria Shriver

“Dont think of him as a Republican, think of him as the man I love; and if that doesnt work, think of him as the man who can crush you.”

“I dont believe in gutter politics. I dont believe in gutter journalism.”

“I think that public service is tough on a family -- no ifs, ands, buts about it. And I have my own personal wishes, but theyre not always front and center.”

“If kids are going to be on campus six hours a day, lets be responsible about what we give them.”

“We should check where we are next year. I hope everyone is in this for the long haul.”

“All right. This is what I should do. I should support what youre doing.”

“I thought a lot about what I could say here today. I also thought a lot about what I couldnt or shouldnt say for one reason or the other, ... We all know what happens to first ladies who shoot their mouths off they get sent to first ladies dungeon, and you wouldnt want that to happen to me.”

“to keep on doing the work and not worry what other people have to say.”

“We all know what happens to first ladies who shoot their mouths off.”

“When I look in the mirror, I dont just see a first lady, I dont just see a Kennedy or a Schwarzenegger, I dont just see a mother, a daughter, a wife, a sister and a friend, and thank God, I dont see Warren Beatty.”

Starting at the bottom is not about humiliation. Its about humility—a realistic assessment of where you are in the learning curve.

Having kids — the responsibility of rearing good, kind, ethical, responsible human beings — is the biggest job anyone can embark on

Listen: You cant short-circuit the learning process. It takes time to get to the top, and thats good-because by the time you get there, youll have learned what you need to know in order to stay there.

Comparing how you feel on the inside (bad) to the way someone else looks on the outside (great) is a losing proposition. Its an impossible standard.

Having kids - the responsibility of rearing good, kind, ethical, responsible human beings - is the biggest job anyone can embark on. As with any risk, you have to take a leap of faith and ask lots of wonderful people for their help and guidance. I thank God every day for giving me the opportunity to parent.

My mothers death brought me to my knees. She was my hero, my role model, my very best friend. I spoke to her every single day of my life. I really tried hard when I grew up to make her proud of me.

The gift my mother gave me was the gift of possibility. From an early age, she instilled in me a belief that I could do anything I wanted to do. It wasnt a matter of, Can I? or Should I? It was just, You can, you must, you will! She wanted me to believe that anything was possible.

No matter who you are, what youve accomplished, what your financial situation is - when youre dealing with a parent with Alzheimers, you yourself feel helpless. The parent cant work, cant live alone, and is totally dependent, like a toddler. As the disease unfolds, you dont know what to expect.

I like to make jokes I consider myself a funny person. I just think making jokes about people who are in a situation beyond their control is not funny to them or their families.

I dont believe in gutter politics. I dont believe in gutter journalism.