Tag Archives: memories
No faster or firmer friendships
“There are no faster or firmer friendships than those formed between people who love the same books.” ― Irving Stone OK, think of how to describe the friend of your dreams. The best friend you can imagine. First, and this is a big one – someone who lives close enough that you can get to …
The invisible crop
“…when you give yourself to places, they give you yourself back; the more one comes to know them, the more one seeds them with the invisible crop of memories and associations that will be waiting for when you come back, while new places offer up new thoughts, new possibilities. Exploring the world is one the …
To west of West
“Lands there are to west of West, Where night is quiet and sleep is rest. Guided by the Lonely Star, Beyond the utmost harbour-bar, I’ll find the heavens fair and free, And beaches of the Starlit Sea. Ship, my ship! I seek the West, And fields and mountains ever blest…” — J. R. R. Tolkien …
The way you see
“Your past is important because it brought you to where you are, but as important as your past is, it is not nearly as important as the way you see your future.” ― Tony Campolo Some of us are fascinated with history, seeing many lessons in the past, and finding much to like there. Others …
In every picture
“There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.” — Ansel Adams Looking through family snapshots, it’s usually pretty easy to tell who took the pictures. It’s the person who isn’t in many of them. With the advent of “selfies” it’s changing somewhat, but generally speaking, photographers don’t spend much time …
Very valuable
“What a pity that I didn’t keep my childhood – it would be very valuable now.” — Ashleigh Brilliant One year ago today, I wrote about the April birthday shared by my father and my brother. I had forgotten that my father’s father, who died when I was a baby, had almost had the same birthday. …
A genuine interest
“The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.” ― William Morris I like to keep a camera handy so I can capture everyday moments, the type that seem commonplace. Now that most people have cell phones with cameras, this is happening more often, and I …
Long-distance friendships
“There is magic in long-distance friendships. They let you relate to other human beings in a way that goes beyond being physically together and is often more profound.” — widely attributed Diana Cortes, about whom I could find no reliable information One of the silver linings to the sorrow of having to leave friends every …
What anyone wants to remember
“A childhood is what anyone wants to remember of it.” — Carol Shields “A happy childhood can’t be cured. Mine’ll hang around my neck like a rainbow…” — Hortense Calisher I’ve written before about how it can be difficult being a child or young person, and that’s more true for some than for others. Most …
My sunset sky
“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.” ― Rabindranath Tagore There are a lot of things I really like about getting older. Based on what others have said or written, I know I’m not the only one who has experienced …
Consider having fun
“If you only do what’s important, you’ll never have any fun, unless you consider having fun important.” — Ashleigh Brilliant If you don’t consider having fun important, I hope you’ll think about it and change your mind! Recently we had a discussion in the comments here, about end-of-life wishes, and things people wish they had …
The onrush of scenery
“I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery—air, mountains, trees, people. I thought, “This is what it is to be happy.” ― Sylvia Plath It’s difficult to read this quote from Plath without thinking of the sad reality that she chose to end her own life while still young, with two small children. …
Beautiful discovery
“The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.” — Elisabeth Foley One year ago today, I quoted from a wonderful book written by my friend Ellis Anderson, whom I met at college nearly 40 years ago. Ellis and I were different in many ways, but we also …
Voices at the door
“I sit beside the fire and think Of all that I have seen Of meadow flowers and butterflies In summers that have been Of yellow leaves and gossamer In autumns that there were With morning mist and silver sun And wind upon my hair I sit beside the fire and think Of how the world …
So late so soon
“How did it get so late so soon? It’s night before it’s afternoon. December is here before it’s June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?” ― Dr. Seuss My sister Carla has been teaching children for nearly 40 years, and she shares my love for Dr. …
In the company of children
“Christmas Day in the company of children is one of the few occasions on which men become entirely alive.” ― Robert Lynd This quote sounds charming, but I couldn’t help but laugh a little to recall how exhausted Jeff and I used to be during the years when Santa would visit our sons. It always …
An act of recollection
“The Polar Express was the easiest of my picture book manuscripts to write… Once I realized the train was going to the North Pole, finding the story seemed less like a creative effort than an act of recollection. I felt, like the story’s narrator, that I was remembering something, not making it up.” — Chris …
Deep in December
“Deep in December it’s nice to remember Although you know the snow will follow Deep in December it’s nice to remember Without a hurt the heart is hollow…” — (Lyricist) Tom Jones, from The Fantasticks I grew up listening to this lovely song, and Jeff and I saw the staged musical on one of our …
The summer of the soul
“A part of childhood we’ll always remember It is the summer of the soul in December…” —Paul Williams, from the song “It Feels Like Christmas“ There’s a persistent misunderstanding that adults with autism or intellectual disabilities remain children all of their lives. This is a convenient but often demeaning illusion for those who have a …
Unintentionally
“Small kindnesses often, unintentionally, produce the biggest payoffs.” ― Richard Paul Evans Sometimes people give us gifts that they don’t even realize they are giving us. Here’s my memory of one such gift, an intangible expression of an all-too-unusual kind of love. Because my father has always been a good sport about being teased, all …
Home is not where
“Home is not where, it is whom.” -Christianne Dettmann As most readers have figured out by now, I’m no longer posting two weeks in advance, but taking it day by day as I am able. Since my days are mostly spent in hospitals lately, I have a bit of a one-track mind. In any case, …
Only with gratitude
“In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer Have you ever had a friend who seemed to give you much more than you gave her or him? At times, we feel helpless ever …
Captured and preserved
“But in a jar put up by Felicity, The summer which maybe never was Has been captured and preserved…” — John Tobias, from his lovely poem The beautiful cherry blossoms pictured above were on display inside the Sackler Gallery weeks before the local trees were in bloom. I asked staff there “are they real?” and …
Defeat Despair 