Meredith Grey quotes from Grey's Anatomy

Meredith

[closing voice-over] When we strike that match, we like to think we can control the burn. We like to think we have any control at all, but fire is wildly difficult to contain. And just when you think you've extinguished the blaze, it reignites. It sucks in air and burns hotter and brighter than ever.

Meredith

[opening voice-over] In group settings, men are 75% more likely to speak up than women. And when a woman does speak up, it's statistically probable her male counterparts will either interrupt her, or speak over her. It's not because they're rude, it's science. The female voice is scientifically proven to be more difficult for a male brain to register. What does this mean? It means, in this world, where men are bigger, stronger, faster, if you're not ready to fight, the silence will kill you.

Meredith

[to Alex] I just spent six weeks in a bed unable to speak. When that you happens, you see things. It's a lot of things that people don't say to each other that they should just say, so I need you to hear me when I say this. I know I've needed you a lot lately, but I also know and I have known for a long time that Jo loves you. Post-it-on-the-wall loves you. Don't ignore that. You can have more than one person. I used to think you couldn't, but now I know, I mean, turns out I have a whole damn village. So, you don't have to worry about me. Go be with Jo. I'll be fine. I'm okay.

Meredith

[closing voice-over] Don't let fear keep you quiet. You have a voice. So use it. Speak up. Raise your hands. Shout your answers. Make yourself heard. Whatever it takes. Just find your voice and when you do, fill the damn silence.

Meredith

[opening voice-over] Any day where no one died is a good day. Someone said that once. Wait, it was me. I said it. Any day you wake up and your body's still moving is a good day. You can start over. You can forget your past mistakes. You can make a new start. Live everyday like it's your last. All that crap they put on pillows and car bumpers, it's all true. You're alive. Respect that. Not everybody is.

Meredith

[closing voice-over] We can start over. Every day, we get second chances to become who we always wanted to be. We can leave our past behind or we can learn from it and honor it. We can decide. It's never too late to change. These people don't have that chance. They left it to you. They let you learn from them, so let's say thank you and not screw it up.

Meredith

[opening voice-over] Back in med school, I knew a guy who spent his weekends as a magician for children's birthday parties. It makes a weird kind of sense. If you plan on sawing a person in half, you're going to need to practice. When you take the stage and all eyes are on you, you don't want the audience to see you sweat, you only want them to see the magic.

Meredith

[closing voice-over] There's a reason we like to keep things to ourselves. When you have an audience, even the smallest moments end up feeling huge. It makes the big moments seem positively earth-shattering. The trick is, not letting the pressure keep you from taking big chances. You just get out there, naked and afraid, and pretend no one's looking.

Meredith

[opening voice-over] When babies are born, they usually come out crying like there's no tomorrow. It's loud, it's jarring, and it's completely unfair. That adorable tiny baby was forced out of its mother's womb, and forced to breathe outside air into its brand new little lungs. It's human nature. No one wants to be left out in the cold, rejected and alone.

Meredith

[closing voice-over] Affection, acceptance, and unconditional love. We all want it. We all look for it. But when we find it, it's flat-out terrifying. Because just as quickly as we may have found it, it can disappear. And we're back out there in the cold, alone.

Meredith

[opening voice-over] We cover up injuries with tape and gauze to protect the injury, to prevent infection, to save the patient from further suffering. The hard part comes when you have to rip the bandage off, because that can hurt like hell.

Meredith

[closing voice-over] It hurts to tear that bandage off. We don't wanna see what's underneath. But maybe it's not the fear of the pain that holds us back. Maybe, we're really afraid to see if the wound underneath is still open, or if it might actually be healing.

Meredith

[opening voice-over] Don't be scared. I have no idea how many times I've said it. The intern stands over a patient with a scalpel or a needle or a clamp, afraid to make the first move. They're scared. They know what to do, but they just need that little push.

Meredith

This was Derek's blanket. I always hated the stupid thing. It's not soft. It's not warm. It's not a great color. He had it in the trailer. He brought it here. Made it to the dream house with us. He made a bed in front of this fireplace for us once. And now he's gone. And I still have the damn thing.

Meredith

[closing voice-over] Don't stop. Don't hesitate. You can't be scared of what's next. Do not let fear get in your way. That's why we don’t operate alone. There are attendings and nurses and interns. Those O.R.s are full of people. So in the cases where somebody actually does get hurt, nobody has to go through it alone.