Poem: The Snow Man

One must have a mind of winter
To regard the frost and the boughs
Of the pine-trees crusted with snow;

And have been cold a long time
To behold the junipers shagged with ice,
The spruces rough in the distant glitter

Of the January sun; and not to think
Of any misery in the sound of the wind,
In the sound of a few leaves,

Which is the sound of the land
Full of the same wind
That is blowing in the same bare place

For the listener, who listens in the snow,
And, nothing himself, beholds
Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is.

                            Wallace Stevens 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Epiphany

Were it not for the shepherds,
    there would have been no reception.
And were it not for a group of stargazers,
    there would have been no gifts.

            Max Lucado, God Came Near 

 

 

 

 

Choice

Every day is different, and some days are better than others,
        but no matter how challenging the day, I get up and live it.

                        Muhammad Ali, The Soul Of A Butterfly

 

 

 

 

 

Take note

History is merely a list of surprises. …
        It can only prepare us to be surprised yet again.

                Please write that down.

                            Kurt Vonnegut, Slapstick

 

 

 

 

 

How will you go?

I know not all that may be coming,
    but be it what it will,
        I'll go to it laughing.

                Herman Melville, Moby-Dick or, the Whale

 

 

 

 

 

 

Redeem the time

In the spirit of faith let us begin each day,
and we shall be sure to " redeem the time " which it brings to us,
by changing it into something definite and eternal.
There is a deep meaning in this phrase of the apostle, to redeem time.
We redeem time, and do not merely use it.
We transform it into eternity by living it aright.

James Freeman Clarke, Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Begin by saying yes

Don’t be afraid to be a fool.
Remember, you cannot be both young and wise.
Young people who pretend to be wise to the ways of the world are mostly just cynics.
Cynicism masquerades as wisdom, but it is the farthest thing from it.
Because cynics don’t learn anything.
Because cynicism is a self-imposed blindness, a rejection of the world
because we are afraid it will hurt us or disappoint us.
Cynics always say no.
But saying yes begins things.
Saying yes is how things grow.
Saying yes leads to knowledge.
"Yes" is for young people.
So for as long as you have the strength to, say yes.

        Stephen Colbert, 2006 Knox College commencement address