“Lovely weather so far; I don't…” — Louisa May Alcott

Lovely weather so far; I don't know how long it will last, but I'm not afraid of storms, for I'm learning how to sail my ship.

— Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888), Little Women (1868), Amy, in Ch. 44 : My Lord and Lady; part of this has sometimes been slightly misquoted as: "I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship."

Courage and overcoming setbacks

What it means

Amy does not know whether the good weather will last, but she is no longer afraid of storms because she is learning to handle them. Skill builds calm.

About the author

Louisa May Alcott — American novelist (1832–1888).

Source and verification

Source: Little Women (1868), Amy, in Ch. 44 : My Lord and Lady; part of this has sometimes been slightly misquoted as: "I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship."
Reference: Louisa May Alcott on Wikiquote
Checked: Wording and source taken from the sourced section of the author’s Wikiquote page, which cites the work given here (accessed 2026-10-11).
Copyright: Public domain: the author died in 1888.

The explanation above is ToDoMatriX’s own reading of the quote, not the author’s words.

More on courage and overcoming setbacks

“Do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater.”

Albert Einstein

“In short, in life, as in a football game, the principle to follow is: Hit the line hard; don't foul and don't shirk, but hit the line hard!”

Theodore Roosevelt

“I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life; I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.”

Theodore Roosevelt