There’s something about a good quote. Some resonate and stay with us for a long time, others make us nod in agreement—or not—while others make us smile at their simple truths. Among my favorites…
** “Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. Look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. Think only of the best, work only for the bes,t and expect only the best. Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future. Give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others. Live in the faith that the whole world is on your side so long as you are true to the best that is in you!” ~ Christian D. Larson, author
** “To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affections of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child or a garden patch; to know even one life breathes easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson, essayist
** “Happiness is like a butterfly: the more you chase it, the more it will elude you. But if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit quietly on your shoulder…” ~ Henry David Thoreau, naturalist
** “One smile begets another; one kind gesture invites another. Such simple civility. When did it become so rare that I’m startled by it? Was it the pandemic, or did COVID-19 merely place a headstone on the graves of common cause and community?” ~ Kathleen Parker, columnist
** “Perhaps we’ll turn off Twitter long enough to think about the consequences for our neighbors and our nation of what we say, how we act, and whom we elect. Perhaps there’s time to repair the damage. The days feel short.” ~ Tim Swarens, USA Today deputy opinion editor
** “Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.” ~ unknown
** “We’ve got to do a better job of getting across that America is freedom—freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of enterprise—and freedom is special and rare. It’s freedom; it needs protection.” ~ from former President Ronald Reagan’s farewell speech
** “The best teachers are the ones who show you how to use your heart.” ~ Story People
** “It is the way of all things that the night ends and the light returns. The light always returns. ~ Brian Andreas
** “I carry you with me into the world, into the smell of the rain and the words that dance between people, and for me, it will always be this way, walking in the light, remembering being alive together.” ~ Brian Andreas
** “It’s not something you learn. Magic is something you recognize as your own heartbeat once you’re quiet enough to hear it.” ~ Kai Skye
** “It’s enough to pay attention to the little things. The steam rising off that first cup of coffee. Sunlight coming through the window. There’s no right answer for what’s going to make you happy. There are only these little things that add up to how you spend your days, and it can take a long time to see it’s as simple as that.” ~ Story People
** “To free us from the expectations of others, to give us back to ourselves—there lies the great, singular power of self-respect.” ~ Joan Didion, writer
~ With my thanks and happy summer wishes, Carol