Doesn’t it seem that there is quite literally a quote out there for every situation? Over the years, I’ve acquired so many- storing and saving them on scraps of paper, on my laptop, my iPad, and my phone for just that right moment when I could pull one up and use it at the most opportune moment. Unfortunately, I can rarely pull them up fast enough (or recall them exactly enough) to do so. So, the thought came to me- since I have so many favorite quotes, I’ll force some of them on you!
As with all of my thoughts and ideas, my list of favorite quotes is all over the place- from silly to stone cold serious and everything in between. I mostly love motivational and inspiring messages, and ones that capture a spirit or essence of a time, but sometimes it’s the short and sweet (or not so sweet) ones that stick in my brain as well. So with that not so subtle segue, I’ll start the list with:
1) “Keep it simple, stupid.” I had to look up the origin on this one (thank you Wikipedia) because, truthfully, I had it in my head that it was a Jimmy Buffet lyric. Unbeknownst to me, its acronym- K.I.S.S. is commonly accredited to an aircraft carrier engineer in the US Navy by the name of Kelly Johnson, who felt that designs should be simple and not complicated. Hence, the “keep it simple”. The ‘stupid’ part, well that was probably added because it’s funny, goddamnit!
2) “We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.”- most commonly credited to Winston Churchill, but also to Rudyard Kipling and George Orwell, among others. There are several variations, all of which do perfect justice to the power of those words. As a police wife, I particularly love those words. The image of a brave soldier or a brave peace officer standing ready to protect, regardless of their own fear or danger, to keep us safe.. chills.
3) “The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Proverb Confession: I heard this first on a really obnoxious daytime talk show. I won’t say which one, just that it has a bunch of women shouting over each other over topics they have merely a modicum of knowledge about, yet feel as though they are the authority on. Five minutes of this show causes my ears to bleed. Regardless, I somehow managed to catch this tidbit from one of these women, as she was apologizing for hurtful comments she’d made about another woman. It was a classy move, I liked her for it, and upon hearing the quote- a proverb, actually- I knew it was a keeper. She went on to speak of mindfulness, and the importance of being mindful in your words, which resonates deeply with me. Always a surprise where you find gems, isn’t it?
4) “My religion is simple. My religion is kindness”– Dalai Lama. My feelings and ideas about religion and faith have always been ever evolving, and at times conflicted. The Dalai Lama has always intrigued me, his books and words have inspired and moved me, and answered many questions I’ve had. When I read this, I thought: yes. This speaks to me.
5) “With great power, comes great responsibility. If you know Spiderman, than you probably know this line delivered by Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben. Alas, it was Fench writer Voltaire who said it first. Either way, it’s awesome.
6) ” Grief is the price we pay for [a] love [that lights up our life]” – C.S. Lewis, and again by Queen Elizabeth. A family friend quoted this at the reading of his father’s eulogy. I was very affected by that line, and when I researched it’s origin, I found to my surprise, that it was from none other than my favorite author, C.S. Lewis- the writer of the Narnia Chronicles, as well as numerous other books. It’s so painfully true, yes?
7) ” Everything will be alright in the end. If it’s not alright, then it’s not the end.” -Unknown (for certain). Several people are credited with coining this phrase, including John Lennon, but I’ll give my credit to Patel in the movie ” Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” as this a where I first heard it.
8) “Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.” -Hans Christian Andersen. Just: Yes. Yes, yes, yes.
9) “To the world you may be one person; but to one person you may be the world.” Dr. Seuss. Oh, the great, amazing Dr. Seuss. There are actually quite a few that I love from him, but this one is simply sweet as can be.
10) “You see, in the final analysis it is between you and God; it was never between you and them anyway.” – Mother Teresa. This is the ending of a longer quote about doing what is good and right and in your heart, regardless of criticism, hate, or unkindness from others. The whole thing is a great read, and great to keep in mind throughout life.
Funny, I thought that I’d have picked more of the silly/funny quotes to share. However, today, this week, these months have been somber ones in my world. My inner circle is solid; this I am so grateful for. But as you now know, I am of a police family, and our family as a whole is hurting. Two of our heroes were buried today, leaving a total of eight children fatherless, and two wives without their husbands. These quotes I’ve shared with you today are my little reminders of all that’s good in the world, and all the good that has been and can be. I hope you’ve enjoyed them, and that they can lift the spirits of anyone feeling low. I hope for better days to come for our nation, and that we look towards healing words, rather than divisive words. I simply, and unequivocally: Hope.
