"Voyager is so happy, because it’s the bravest satellite of all. It has gone the furthest. And it’s not lonely, because it’s talking to us. It phones home. And it tells us all about the wonderful things that it’s seeing. …There’s a whole universe to explore, and it’s just leaving our Solar System right now. It’s very brave and very lucky to be doing what it’s doing, so it’s not going to get lost. It’s traveled further than anything we’ve ever built has traveled before. It’s actually showing us the way. …

It might have been safer for it to just stay home, and stay inside a building, but then it would have been sad forever, because it never would have done its purpose. It never would have discovered things. It’s all a wonderful story of great discovery and success, and it couldn’t have happened if Voyager hadn’t been brave…

It’s not really the fact that everything always has a start and an end, it’s what happens in the middle that counts. What do you while you’re alive? What do you do while you’re laughing? And I think we’re doing exactly what makes Voyager joyful and as happy as it could be.

Think about the fact that you’re a little bit like Voyager. In that you’re going to go see the world, and you’re going to call your mom on the phone and tell her about the wonderful things that you see. … You wouldn’t want to spend your whole life hiding under your bed and never seeing anything in your whole life, you want to be able to do what makes you happy and joyful and learn about things to discover. You might be the person that discovers something really important for everybody else on the world, but you can never discover that if you just hide and only do things that are safe. So think about yourself a little bit like Voyager. What makes you laugh? It’s not just staying, hiding underneath your bed safely at home."

from: Source

You came to me and demanded to know why—why hadn’t I been there? Why her, and not you?

What had she done to earn fairy gifts to smooth her way? What did she do to earn the golden dresses and the silver shoes, the care of old women and the kindness of princes?

Why did she get to dance, when you had to carve your path of thorns, and bleed for every inch?

I told you that fairy godmothers are a little less than angels. We are given only enough power to hold in our two hands. There is not enough to go around.

I told you that we spend it very grudgingly, and only on those who cannot succeed without our help.

The dancing princess would have died. She would have withered at the first harsh word. She could never have woven the rope from nettles, or built her own dog out of bones.

So I helped her and not you.

I told you that even in the cradle, I knew that you were strong.

You swallowed that, even though the taste was bitter. You were already proud of your strength. (And why wouldn’t you be? You have done amazing things. I wish I had the right to be proud of what you’ve done.)

You walked away, with your tattered cloak swinging, with the bone dog clattering at your side. You walked away, and all you left was the handprint on the doorframe, with your left hand stained with the prince’s blood.

I watched you go, and picked the bits of lie out of my teeth with the tip of a worrying tongue.

Truth is, there are too many broken people in the world.

We bet on the ones we think will make it, like birds who feed the strongest chick. We pour love out on those who are already loved and magic on those who only need a little, since a little is all we have to give.

There was nothing much to recommend you as a child. You squalled and whined and cried. You were timid and afraid of strangers.

(And I have to tell you that your breathing was annoying, you made little “uhn! uhn!” noises in your throat at every breath, and certainly this is petty but also it is true.)

Mostly, though, you were easy to forget, so I forgot you.

I did not expect you to survive. You should have died a dozen times and yet you lived, for all you went a darker way.

Well. Good for you. We don’t always get it right.

I waited too long to clean the handprint off the doorframe. I left it there for days as a reminder. My eyes dragged over it every time I went out.

I think I hoped that I would learn something.

In the end I washed it off, or tried.

The white paint underneath is stained. In sunlight I hardly notice.

But sometimes now,
before I light the candles,
I see the shadow of your hand against the door.

Source: T. Kingfisher

"Bruno’s World!" I pondered. "Yes, I suppose every child has a world of his own–and
every man, too, for the matter of that. I wonder if that’s the cause for all the misunderstanding there is in Life?"

~Sylvie and Bruno Concluded

**Because every person believes they are the center of their own world, even if they don’t. There’s something to be said for trying to walk in another person’s shoes or see through another person’s eyes.

~From Letter #1, Letters to a Young Poet

"’The magic is in the blood, it flows from the heart. Every time you use it, part of yourself goes with it. Only when you are prepared to give of yourself and receive nothing back will the magic work for you.’"

~From the book “Soulforge”, part of the DragonLance series

"[People] keep moving forward and making new trysts with life, and the motion of it keeps them young. In my opinion, they are the only people who are still alive. You must be constantly on your guard against congealing."

Gail Godwin, American Novelist

**I’ve been working hard at trying new things in my life, to create the life I dream about. Are you? If so, how’s it going?

PS You have to be brave.”

~~Jeanette Winterson, from Big Questions from Little People

I’ve run this blog for over 7 years now, sharing my favorite bits of wisdom and thought-provoking finds. I feel so happy to be able to enjoy with you, knowing that the contents of this blog may bring a little joy into your lives.

That’s why I believe it’s only fair of me to give you all a heads-up that I’ve added some affiliate Amazon links to some of my older posts. And going forward, I will have affiliate links in a few of my posts, when appropriate. Feel free to not click on them if you wish. I certainly don’t mind. And if you do go ahead and click on it, thanks a ton!

P.S. I’m not sure the effect a bunch of updates on old posts will have on those who are subscribed to me either through email or RSS reader. Please let me know if I’m accidentally spamming you with old posts!

Lyrics:

Starry, starry night
Paint your palette blue and gray
Look out on a summer’s day
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul

Shadows on the hills
Sketch the trees and the daffodils
Catch the breeze and the winter chills
In colors on the snowy linen land

Now I understand
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free

They would not listen, they did not know how
Perhaps they’ll listen now

Starry, starry night
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze
Swirling clouds in violet haze
Reflect in Vincent’s eyes of china blue

Colors changing hue
Morning fields of amber grain
Weathered faces lined in pain
Are soothed beneath the artist’s loving hand

Now I understand
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free

They would not listen, they did not know how
Perhaps they’ll listen now

For they could not love you
But still your love was true
And when no hope was left in sight
On that starry, starry night

You took your life, as lovers often do
But I could’ve told you Vincent
This world was never meant for
One as beautiful as you

Starry, starry night
Portraits hung in empty halls
Frame-less heads on nameless walls
With eyes that watch the world and can’t forget

Like the strangers that you’ve met
The ragged men in ragged clothes
The silver thorn of bloody rose
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow

Now I think I know
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free

They would not listen, they’re not listening still
Perhaps they never will

~Walt Whitman

**This reminds me to push forward. I make my own fortune, and should not excuse myself anymore. What have you been putting off?