From Louisa May Alcott’s An Old-Fashioned Girl:
“Talk to me. You don’t seem to have as many worries as other people. What’s the secret, Polly?” And Fanny looked up with wet eyes and a wistful face at Polly, who was putting little dabs of cologne all over her head.
“Well,” said Polly, slowly, “I try to look on the bright side of things; that helps one amazingly. Why, you’ve no idea how much goodness and sunshine you can get out of the most unpromising things, if you make the best of them.”
I like this one because I have found it to be true over and over again in my life. Hard times are made easier when I can look on the bright side.
And so far in my life, there has always been a bright side, even if it’s tiny.
One less serious quote, this one from Madeline L’Engle:
“Once, when I was very unhappy, Hugh and I had to go to a large cocktail party. There was nothing I wanted to do less than get dressed up and have to radiate charm to swarms of people.”
I just love the phrase “get dressed up and have to radiate charm to swarms of people”. It made me laugh when I read it because it’s just such an apt description of how a looming cocktail party feels when one is in the dumps emotionally.
I have read thousands of books, but no quote sticks with me as much as this, from a book whose title I do not remember. I was reading to distract myself after a heart wrenching breakup. These words really touched me. I have since come to learn this is an atypical translation, but this is the way it was seared into my memory during those unhappy days. The original Jose Marti poem* refers to a single white rose, but I think the meaning is the same. Fortunately, life got better. Much better. What was that guy’s name? Hmmm…
I cultivate white roses
In January as in July,
For the honest friend who freely
Offers me his hand
And for the one who tears from me
The heart with which I live,
I gather neither thorns nor thistles,
But cultivate white roses
*If you’ve ever heard the song “Guantanamera”, it’s based on a Jose Marti poem, too.
Quotes from books don’t stick with me as much as poetry does. I’ve always particularly loved the beginning of “Song of the Open Road” by Walt Whitman. “Afoot and lighthearted I take to the open road. Healthy, free, the world before me. The long brown path before me leading wherever I choose.”
My favorite book quote:
“The old dreams were good dreams; they didn’t work out but I’m glad I had them.” ― Robert James Waller, The Bridges of Madison County
For me this says it all!
Anne of Green Gables:
“ Why must people kneel down to pray? If I really wanted to pray I’ll tell you what I’d do. I’d go out into a great big field all alone or in the deep, deep woods and I’d look up into the sky—up—up—up—into that lovely blue sky that looks as if there was no end to its blueness. And then I’d just feel a prayer”
Bit there are sooo many good line from my all time favorite book, “These Is My Words”. A must read!
I love that book, too. It would be a good one for a book club.
We did it for a book club. Everyone picked their favorite quote-we all laughed and cried!