Do not wait for life. Do not long for it. Be aware, always and at every moment, that the miracle is in the here and now. ~ Marcel Proust
life
The Sound of the Sea ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The Sound of the Sea
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Do not wait for life.
Do not long for it.
Be aware, always and at every moment,
that the miracle is in the here and now.
Good Luck and Bad ~ Grantland Rice
Good Luck and Bad
Grantland Rice
GOOD Luck is like a down hill tide
That helps to make an easy start,
Where one may paddle, drift or glide
Without much effort on his part;
But though it takes you to the goal
And brings you in the world's acclaim,
It builds no fibre for your soul
Nor molds you for the rougher game.
Bad Luck is like an uphill sweep,
The test of courage and of class,
Where troubles grow and shadows creep
And none except the valiant pass ;
Where through raw gales that blow but ill
The entry clings to this lone dream :
The stalwart only stalks the hill
The gamefish only swims up stream.
If your main wish is but to win
Let Good Luck help to pull you through,
To know the cheering and the din
That go where laurel sprigs are due ;
But if you wish to build a heart
That scorns the fickle whims of Fate,
Take Hard Luck for the journey's start
With rugged Trouble for a mate.
Songs for Joy ~ William Henry Davies
Songs for Joy
William Henry Davies
Sing out, my soul, thy songs of joy;
Sing as a happy bird will sing
Beneath a rainbow’s lovely arch
In the spring.
Think not of death in thy young days;
Why shouldst thou that grim tyrant fear?
And fear him not when thou art old,
And he is near.
Strive not for gold, for greedy fools
Measure themselves by poor men never;
Their standard still being richer men,
Makes them poor ever.
Train up thy mind to feel content,
What matters then how low thy store?
What we enjoy, and not possess,
Makes rich or poor.
Filled with sweet thought, then happy I
Take not my state from other’s eyes;
What’s in my mind not on my flesh
Or theirs I prize.
Sing, happy soul, thy songs of joy;
Such as a Brook sings in the wood,
That all night has been strengthened by
Heaven’s purer flood.
Life is Fine ~ Langston Hughes
Life is Fine
Langston Hughes
I went down to the river,
I set down on the bank.
I tried to think but couldn’t,
So I jumped in and sank.
I came up once and hollered!
I came up twice and cried!
If that water hadn’t a-been so cold
I might’ve sunk and died.
But it was Cold in that water! It was cold!
I took the elevator
Sixteen floors above the ground.
I thought about my baby
And thought I would jump down.
I stood there and I hollered!
I stood there and I cried!
If it hadn’t a-been so high
I might’ve jumped and died.
But it was High up there! It was high!
So since I’m still here livin’,
I guess I will live on.
I could’ve died for love–
But for livin’ I was born
Though you may hear me holler,
And you may see me cry–
I’ll be dogged, sweet baby,
If you gonna see me die.
Life is fine! Fine as wine! Life is fine!
Death ~ Tagore
Say not in grief that she is no more
but say in thankfulness that she was
A death is not the extinguishing of a light,
but the putting out of the lamp
because the dawn has come.– R. Tagore
Today’s Reflection ~ It’s All Connected
We cannot pluck a flower without disturbing a star. ~ Loren Eisely
Today’s Reflection ~ Advice for Living
Let every step you take upon the earth be as a prayer. ~ Black Elk
Today’s Reflection ~ Family
The most important thing in life will always be family. The people right here, right now. ~ Vin Diesel
Today’s Reflection ~ The Way of Life
What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness. ~ John Steinbeck
