The Value of Nature

 For Easter I chose to spend my afternoon at Sunset Cliffs. If I could, I would encourage everyone to spend at least part of each holiday outdoors.

Photo from Ikenbot

Delight

And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.

-Khalil Gibran

By Halves

“There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.” 

-Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

Capricho

Photo from Childreach

Detrás de cada espejo
hay una estrella muerta
y un arco iris niño
que duerme.


Detrás de cada espejo
hay una calma eterna
y un nido de silencios
que no han volado.


El espejo es la momia
del manantial, se cierra,
como concha de luz,
por la noche.


El espejo
es la madre-rocío,
el libro que diseca
los crepúsculos, el eco hecho carne.


-Federico García Lorca

The Parts That Remain

“We age not by holding on to youth, but by letting ourselves grow and embracing whatever youthful parts remain.” 

 -Keith Richards

Forest of Rain

Understand that, the prisons you've built are of your own design.

Understand that, you should be the person you wanted to be when you woke up this morning.

Understand that, the world desperately wants to love you, if you'll let it.

Understand that, you deserve that love, even if you don't feel like it.

Understand that, love can hit a planet like a comet.

Understand that, the rain can unrain, if you want it to.

[reblog from: I Wrote This For You]

Simplify

“The only dream worth having is to dream that you will live while you are alive, and die only when you are dead. To love, to be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and vulgar disparity of the life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never to forget.”

-  Arundhati Roy

Empty Streets

"... maybe this is all pure gibberish—a product of the demented imagination of a lazy drunken hillbilly with a heart full of hate who has found a way to live out where the real winds blow—to sleep late, have fun, get wild, drink whisky, and drive fast on empty streets with nothing in mind except falling in love and not getting arrested . . . Res ipsa loquitur. Let the good times roll."

-Hunter S Thompson

Intention

All that counts in life is intention. 

-Andrea Bocelli 

Shine

“And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same”

-Nelson Mandela

I have such a deep love and respect for Nelson Mandela. Every time I learn more about him, that feeling grows even deeper.

Cell

"This third planet in this solar system of this universe has hot regions where more tears than rain fall, and I am sorry. Sorry about all the tears I have caused to fall. Sorry that words cannot always explain. Not even when one uses one's hands to explain...

Discovery

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” 

-Mark Twain

Armour

“Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armour yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.” 

- George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones

a steady hand

“I’m not the silly romantic you think. I don’t want the heavens or the shooting stars. I don’t want gemstones or gold. I have those things already. I want…a steady hand. A kind soul. I want to fall asleep, and wake, knowing my heart is safe. I want to love, and be loved.”

-Shana Abé

Self Portrait

“Everything is a self-portrait. A diary. Your whole drug history’s in a strand of your hair. Your fingernails. The forensic details. The lining of your stomach is a document. The calluses on your hand tell all your secrets. Your teeth give you away. Your accent. The wrinkles around your mouth and eyes. Everything you do shows your hand.”
 -Chuck Palahniuk

I know I just recently posted a quote by him, but I like this one too so I couldn't pass it up. I didn't want to lose it. 

Memento

“At some point, your memories, your stories, your adventures, will be the only things you'll have left.”-Chuck Palahniuk

I wear these things as reminders of all of you.

This bracelet, this ring, this wrist band, this necklace.

These earrings.

Each object, whenever I choose to wear it, reminds me of one of you. For me, jewelry isn't about adding to an outfit, so much as taking those whom I love along with me wherever I go.

Memories are attached to objects; people are attached to memories.

Each piece brings back recollections of when they were received. Circumstances. Locations. Company.

Maybe I am entirely too sentimental.

These happened to be what I was wearing while typing this,
so I thought I might as well capture the moment...

Infinite

"After the dance, we left in Sam's pickup. Patrick was driving this time. As we were approaching the Fort Pitt Tunnel, Sam asked Patrick to pull to the side of the road. I didn't know what was going on. Sam climbed in the back of the pickup, wearing nothing but her dance dress. She told Patrick to drive, and he got this smile on his face. I guess they had done this before...Anyway, Patrick started driving really fast, and just before we got to the tunnel, Sam stood up, and the wind turned her dress into ocean waves. When we hit the tunnel, all the sound got scooped up into a vaccuum, and it was replaced by a song on the tape player. A beautiful song called "Landslide." When we got out of the tunnel, Sam screamed this really fun scream, and there it was. Downtown. Lights on buildings and everything that makes you wonder. Sam sat down and started laughing. Patrick started laughing. I started laughing. And in that moment, I swear we were infinite." -The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

I have loved this quote for the past few years since reading "The Perks of Being A Wallflower" for the first time. I thought it was one of the most beautiful quotes ever, but had not personally experienced something that I knew could be described by it.

Until last night.

Sitting around with friends, listening to music together--EXPERIENCING music together. Talking. Relaxing. Drinking. Just being ourselves. It was comfortable, and satisfying, and perfect.   And I could finally understand it. For sure.

Zwei Herzen

"Zwei Seelen und ein Gedanke,
Zwei Herzen und ein Schlag."

- Eligius Franz Joseph von Münch-Bellinghausen

Practice

"Just remember, the same as a spectacular Vogue magazine, remember that no matter how close you follow the jumps: Continued on page whatever. No matter how careful you are, there's going to be the sense you missed something, the collapsed feeling under your skin that you didn't experience it all. There's that fallen heart feeling that you rushed right through the moments where you should've been paying attention. Well, get used to that feeling. That's how your whole life will feel some day. This is all practice. None of this matters. We're just warming up."

Chuck Palahniuk

Inspire

“As you’re reading this, your life’s getting shorter. It’s ticking away. I’m not saying this to frighten you. Or even scare you. Though it may. I’m saying this to awaken you. To inspire you. To rise you out of your deep slumber. To really know you won’t live forever. To share your unique gifts. To ignite your great inner fire. To ignite your great inner strength. To ignite your great inner light. To shine. Brightly shine. To awaken your great inner beauty. To motivate. Yourself and others. To love. Yourself and others. To paint. To write. To teach. To innovate. To sing. To dance. To care. To feel. To listen. To learn. To laugh. The clock’s ticking. The world needs you. Make your move.” 

-Mike Litman