Maria Shriver covered the December/January issue of AARP Magazine, and she covered all the topics that inquiring minds want to know. Though she’s never directly addressed Arnold infidelity, she certainly brushed on the topic. Read some choice quotes below.
On being self reliant after Arnold:
“That’s certainly been a struggle for me…[In 2011], I was trying to reimagine my life. You have to be willing to let go of the life you planned in order to make the life you’re meant to live.”
On finding love again:
“I’ve been blessed by my parents’ love, by the love I had with Arnold, by the love of my children and my friends. We’re so consumed as a society with “Do you have a boyfriend?” or “Are you married?” We miss the love that is staring you right in the face. I feel surrounding by love. I feel blessed now here in my life.”
On aging:
“I don’t think about it that much. I try to surround myself with lots of young people who are full of life and energy and ideas…I’ve been loved, and I’ve loved. I wouldn’t trade my life for anyone’s.”
On what she’s still working on:
“I’d like to get really good at meditation. I’d like to get really good at accepting love. I’d like to get really good at unconditional love.”
On dealing with grief:
“…we don’t have a culture for handling grief. Understand that there’s not something wrong with you, and that you will get through it, is probably one of the most important things you do.”
On her late father’s battle with Alzheimer’s disease:
“Alzheimer’s is a boomers’ disease…It rattles your whole family dynamic, and it’s not something that going to happen some other time. It’s happening now.”
On building self-esteem:
“I was not brought up to put myself first, but you have to…It’s your job to know who you are. What do you value? What’s your mission? What makes you happy?”
On the subject of her upcoming “Shriver Report”:
“At The Women’s Conference we had these power women discussing “Can I have it all?” I started to think about the women who are left out that discussion. They’re not invited to the power conferences – they barely have time to wash their hair! I wanted to find out what those women need, what we could do differently.”
On raising her children:
“I feel that it’s my job on a daily basis to love my four children unconditionally and to focus on them…I’m really big on elevating people. I always say to my kids, “Our job here is to elevate each other. The world knocks you down.’”
On being a member of the sandwich generation:
“It’s emotionally challenging trying to raise your kids- and parent your parents at the same time. But not a day goes by that I don’t miss my parents. If I had a choice to have them here, I’d do that all again.”
