to be simple, to be free

‘Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free,
‘Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

~Shaker dancing tune, 1848

understand how to be small

We must remain as close to the flowers, the grass, and the butterflies
as the child is who is not yet so much taller than they are.
We adults, on the other hand, have outgrown them
and have to lower ourselves to stoop down to them. . . .
Whoever would partake of all good things
must understand how to be small at times.

~Friedrich Nietzsche, (1844 – 1900)

 

 

enduring happiness

The lesson I have thoroughly learnt, and wish to pass on to others,
is to know the enduring happiness that the love of a garden gives.

~Gertrude Jekyll, (1843 – 1932)

Under the eaves

Happy is the house that shelters a friend.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson, (1803 – 1882)

in defiance of all that is bad around us

The future is an infinite succession of presents,
and to live now as we think human beings should live,
in defiance of all that is bad around us,
is itself a marvelous victory.

~Howard Zinn, (1922 – 2010)

Each moment is a chance

Each moment is a chance
for us to make peace
with the world,
to make peace
possible for the world,
to make happiness
possible for the world.

~Thich Nhat Hanh

No winter lasts forever

 

No winter lasts forever;
no spring skips its turn.

~Hal Borland, (1900 – 1978)

 

move in peace

Being still does not mean don’t move.
It means move in peace.

~E’yen A. Gardner

listen

I think I will do nothing for a long time but
listen,
And accrue what I hear into myself…. and let
sound contribute toward me.

~Walt Whitman, (1819 – 1892)

Listen

There is a voice
that doesn’t use words.
Listen.

~Rumi