And so to bed

I finish each night with a quote on Facebook, and for those who have missed them, here are some recent picks. My rules for choosing them are that they must be short, but not one-liners, and must say something inspiring and joyful, or reflecting the sorrow and pain of the world.

Mainly I choose them because I like them, and I hope you, gentle reader, will like them too. On the blog I've also taken the opportunity to add a few extra pictures of the writers themselves as I think it is rather nice to see the authors as well as their quotes.

And so to bed... quote for tonight is from Charles Dickens, and isn't he just spot on!

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.

And so to bed... quote for tonight is from Malcolm Guite:

Receive this cross of ash upon your brow
Brought from the burning of Palm Sunday's cross;
The forests of the world are burning now
And you make late repentance for the loss.
But all the trees of God would clap their hands,
The very stones themselves would shout and sing,
If you could covenant to love these lands
And recognize in Christ their lord and king.
He sees the slow destruction of those trees,
He weeps to see the ancient places burn,
And still you make what purchases you please
And still to dust and ashes you return.
But Hope could rise from ashes even now
Beginning with this sign upon your brow.

And so to bed... quote for tonight is from William Shakespeare:

Each new morn,
New widows howl, new orphans cry, new sorrows
Strike heaven on the face, that it resounds
As if it felt with Scotland and yell'd out
Like syllable of dolour.

And so to bed... quote for tonight is from Dave Mearns:

In our hearts we know that with a different fate, we, too, could be in the ranks of the dispossessed, stripped of our identities and belonging nowhere. The refugee becomes a sinister symbol of what can quickly happen once personhood is denied and people are transformed into disposable units of contemptible impediments to the greed or power-mongering of others.

And so to bed... quote for tonight is from George Sand:

In times when evil comes because men misunderstand and hate one another, it is the mission of the artist to praise sweetness, confidence, and friendship, and so to remind men, hardened or discouraged, that pure morals, tender sentiments, and primitive justice still exist, or at least can exist, in this world.

And so to bed... quote for tonight is from Gautama Buddha:

In the Way of Liberation, there is no caste.
To the eyes of an enlightened person, all people are
equal. Every person’s blood is red. Every person’s tears
are salty. We are all human beings. We must find a way
for all people to be able to realize their full dignity and
potential.

And so to bed... quote for tonight is from C.S. Lewis:

The old man said in a quiet voice, "I am the Hermit of the Southern March. And now, my son, waste no time on questions, but obey. This damsel is wounded. Your horses are spent. Rabadash is at this moment finding a ford over the Winding Arrow. If you run now, without a moment's rest, you will still be in time to warn King Lune."

Shasta's heart fainted at these words for he felt he had no strength left. And he writhed inside at what seemed the cruelty and unfairness of the demand. He had not yet learned that if you do one good deed your reward usually is to be set to do another and harder and better one.

And so to bed... quote for tonight is from Glenda Reichman (who suffers from early onset Parkinson's disease):

Close friends are truly life's treasures. Sometimes they know us better than we know ourselves. With gentle honesty, they are there to guide and support us, to share our laughter and our tears. Their presence reminds us that we are never really alone.

And so to bed... quote for tonight is from the late Peter Skellern:

When like some ember I gradually fade out and die
Who’s going to stand there and cry?
Which one of my friends will know where the book ends; will know how to tell me “Goodbye”?

If like some daydream, I drift through interminable sky
Would it have been worth all the pain?
Yes, sure would and again

Just like a shadow, we leave such a mark and no more
Life will go on as before
You’ve broken your heart and you’ve played out your part and your story don’t go on anymore

If like some whisper that falls with the winter’s first snow
We're here for a moment or so
Then as dust, we go

If we are numbered like some treeless leaf on the breeze
Sure we are easily pleased
We hang on to existence just to cover the distance until we are brought to our knees

If one drop of rain leaves more of a stain than I
Should I just curl up and die?
No, no, no, not I

When I am called to whatever is calling me home
Is there a thing I have known?
How long have I lost if I counted the cost I could say I have possibly grown?

What take I with me? Nothing but this:
For once in a momentary kiss
I found your love, alone