Words.

Sometimes I come across quotes that just speak to me, the words almost jumping out of the page in their eagerness to be read, to be felt, to be understood.

As a bell-work assignment, I often ask my students to interpret specific quotes and share how they can relate to them personally. Their responses never cease to amaze me in their uniqueness, their immediacy, despite the fact that they are all responding to the same quote. Sometimes they even "donate" quotes of their own, which I love.

This is one quote that has always spoken to me. I need to follow its lessons more:

After a while you learn the subtle difference between holding a hand and chaining a soul, and you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning and company doesn’t mean security, and you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts and presents aren’t promises, and you begin to accept your defeats with your head up and your eyes open, with the grace of an adult, not the grief of a child, and you learn to build all your roads on today because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertain for plans. After a while you learn that even sunshine burns if you get too much. So plant your own garden and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers. And you learn that you really can endure… that you really are strong, and you really do have worth.
Veronica A. Shoffstall
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3 comment(s):

Rissa said...

*sighs* why can't I have YOU as my English teacher?

Rachelle said...

Oh wow. I may have to steal that quote for use with my students this year.

There are some amazing truths in that which just make me want to cry.

Thank you so much for sharing.

Nancy Face said...

Oh my goodness, I love that! I've only heard parts of it before - I've been missing out!