It Takes a Great Deal of Courage
Sometimes I think we underestimate the strength needed to face all the bad and still choose love.
Are You Afraid of the Dark?
This quote is often attributed to Galileo but is actually the last two lines from Sarah Williams‘ poem “The Old Astronomer.” You can read the whole thing here if you want.
To me, the lines mean we don’t need to be afraid of the dark times in life.
The following is from Walking on Water by Madeleine L’Engle:
“Milton could have retreated into passive blindness and self-pity instead of trying the patience of his three dutiful daughters and any visiting friend by insisting that they write down what he dictated. Beethoven could have remained in the gloom of silence instead of forging the glorious sounds which he could never hear except in his artist’s imagination. Sometimes the very impetus of overcoming obstacles results in a surge of creativity.”
If Milton remained afraid of of his blindness and never faced it, we wouldn’t have Paradise Lost. If Beethoven cowered in response to his deafness, we wouldn’t have Symphony No. 9 in D minor. Instead, they embraced the stars so fierce night no longer had a hold on them.
You are a Character in a Story
Top 5 characters I want to meet:
1) Hermoine. She’s smart and nerdy and finally somebody to do work with me two weeks in advance.
2) Annabeth Chase. She’s smart and wise (I’m sensing a theme here).
3) Twilight Sparkle from My Little Ponies (I know, I know. Leave me alone). She lives in a library and is super talented and smart. And she’s a unicorn.
4) July Numah (from my own book, 12). Just to convince myself her faults aren’t really my faults.
5) Elder. Integrity. Leader. Hot. Too bad both of us are taken.
We love characters. We’re drawn to them; we root for them; we cry for them; we imagine them our friends. And we wonder why can’t we be more like them, sometimes even narrating life events like a famous character. (Okay…maybe it’s just me…)
But we are like them.
We are characters in a story. Our own story.
Hang in There, Sunshine #pain #encouragement
Hey there Sunshine,
I know the past couple days have been hard.
Sure, the To-Do List got hacked down a couple line items, which is always worth throwing a fiesta in your case. You even managed to research electromagnetic radiation versus nuclear radiation and learned the two aren’t related. I saw the outline of your second book is coming along, too.
Congratulations.
But that relationship you’ve been meaning to mend? The silent treatment isn’t going to heal it.
A Little Encouragement for #Artists and Those in #Pain
Randy tore these words out of a magazine during a recent flight with United. I interpreted the last bit as a physical affliction and practically heard a soundtrack of inspirational music playing. I think there is more to the quote, but that’s left behind on a half-torn page flying somewhere around the US: