Wednesday, December 31, 2008

(long) Quote du jour/Gladys Taber's New Year's Eve thoughts

From Stillmeadow and Sugarbridge, 1953

As I sweep the snow from the door sill, I think if we could gather up all the happy hours of a year and distill them, we would have Heaven. If we added the dreary and sad times, we would no doubt, have a good foretaste of a lower region.

The bright and the dark are so inseparable.

Every life, I think, has a burden of sorrow, and every life has also the delicate excitement of happiness. Cherishing the golden hours and forgetting the black ones probably make for a happy person, the fulfilled life.

As the old year vanishes into the land that no one can ever visit again, I can see the New Year coming with a pale pure fire into the old darkness of the night sky.

I always hope I can meet the tomorrows with more strength, more courage and more love than I have ever met the past with.

The snow has stopped. The stars are shining.

14 comments:

  1. Thank you for this new year's eve gift, Nan! It's inspired me to carry a dose of optimism in my pocket as I step into the new year. It's all about perspective.

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  2. Happy New Year, Nan! I have just loved finding your blog, reading your posts (baking your cookies!)and taking a lot of your advice and recommends on books and music as well as getting to know some other great blogs through yours. Thank you for enriching my life.
    Looking forward to 2009. Cheers!

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  3. Karin, I just love these words.
    Patrice, you touched my heart. Thank you!
    Susan, I love your new smiley face! Thanks so much for your nice, nice words.

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  4. I love the voice of Gladys Taber. In December I read 'My Own Cape Cod', just beautiful.

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  5. Great quote to begin the new year with. Happy New Year Nan.

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  6. Jennifer, I haven't read her Cape Cod books. I, too, love her voice.
    Thanks, Lisa, and the same to you!

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  7. Beautiful post! Thank you for the inspiration.

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  8. Mare, I'm inspired by Gladys T. every time I read her words. She is just a wonder to me.

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  9. Thanks for this. I needed it. You're very special to me.

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  10. Kay, as you are to me! Gladys' words are always helpful and meaningful.

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  11. Oh, how I love this passage/quote. I do hope to try to forget all the negative issues of the past. I know it's impossible to forget completely, but I'd like to stop dwelling on some of them. Thank you for the inspiration and for being one of the very best friends I know.

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  12. Les, Gladys is just so good. Her words are real, and hers. She never tried to be anyone but herself, and continues to cheer and help people. Finding her is one of my best literary and life blessings. Thank you so much for your words to me. I feel the same way, Les.

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  13. Perhaps the answer to your Balancing Act query, feeling time at your back, lies in this poem, sweeping the snow and seeing the stars...and you are in the perfect place for a walk in the snow with the spirit of Mr Frost...we can't do it all, but we can sweep the snow...
    Happy New Year,
    Robert

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  14. Thank you, Robert. I loved your words. And the same to you.

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