Soul Stuff

" Speaking as a Chinese, I do not think that any civilization can be called complete until it has progressed from sophistication to unsophistication, and made a conscious return to simplicity of thinking and living, and I call no man wise until he has made the progress from the wisdom of knowledge to the wisdom of foolishness, and become a laughing philosopher, feeling first life's tragedy and then life's comedy. For we must weep before we can laugh. Out of sadness comes the awakening and out of the awakening comes the laughter of the philosopher, with kindness and tolerance to boot." Lin Yutang


Aging Prayer

Lord, I am growing older, and some day, I will be old. Please, may I keep from the fatal habit of thinking I must say something on every subject and on every occasion. Release me from the craving to straighten out everybody's affairs. Make me thoughtful but not moody, helpful but not bossy. With my vast store of wisdom, it seems a pity not to use it all, but Lord, I want a few friends at the end.
Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details, give me wings to get to the point. Seal my lips on my aches and pains; they may increase, and love of rehearsing them may become sweeter as the years go by. I may not ask for grace enough to enjoy the tales of others' pains but help me to endure them with patience.
I dare not ask for improved memory but for a growing humility and a lessening cocksureness when my memory seems to clash with the memories of others. Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally I may be mistaken.
Please keep me reasonably sweet; I do not want to be a saint; some of them are so hard to live with, but a sour old person is one of the crowning works of the devil. Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places and talents in unexpected people. And give me Lord, the grace to tell them so. Amen (Author unknown)


"In some small way, however small and secret, each of us is a little mad. Everyone is lonely at bottom and cries out to be understood, but we can never entirely understand someone else, and each of us remains part stranger even to those who love us.
It is the weak who are cruel; gentleness is to be expected only from the strong. Those who do not know fear are not really brave, for courage is the capacity to confront what can be imagined.
You can understand people better if you look at them, no matter how old or impressive they may be, as if they are children. For most of us never mature; we simply grow taller.
Happiness comes only when we push our brains and hearts to the farthest reaches of which we are capable.
The purpose of life is to matter, to count, to stand for something, to have it make some difference that we lived at all."

Author Unknown (to me)