A short story is the ultimate close-up magic trick -- a couple of thousand words to take you around the universe or break your heart.
Neil GaimanRead
To absent friends, lost loves, old gods, and the season of mists; and may each and every one of us always give the devil his due.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote acknowledges the importance of remembering those we have lost and maintaining a respectful perspective on life's challenges.
Neil Gaiman's quote reflects on the idea of honoring absent friends, lost loves, and significant moments in life, suggesting that while we must remember these important elements, we should also acknowledge and respect the darker aspects of life, represented by 'the devil.' This duality speaks to the complexity of human experience, where we celebrate love and friendship while recognizing the inevitable losses and struggles we encounter.
Themes
FriendsLossRemembranceLifeChallenges
In practice
Example use cases
At a memorial service, you could use this quote to honor those who have passed.
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As a teenager I wrote to R.A. Lafferty. And he responded, too, with letters that were like R.A. Lafferty short stories, filled with elliptical answers to straight questions and simple answers to complicated ones.
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The important thing to understand about American history, wrote Mr. Ibis, in his leather-bound journal, is that it is fictional, a charcoal-sketched simplicity for the children, or the easily bored.
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Nothing’s changed. You’ll go home. You’ll be bored. You’ll be ignored. No one will listen to you, really listen to you. You’re too clever and too quiet for them to understand. They don’t even get your name right.
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I like the stars. It's the illusion of permanence, I think. I mean, they're always flaring up and caving in and going out. But from here, I can pretend...I can pretend that things last. I can pretend that lives last longer than moments. Gods come, and gods go. Mortals flicker and flash and fade. Worlds don't last; and stars and galaxies are transient, fleeting things that twinkle like fireflies and vanish into cold and dust. But I can pretend.
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Our friends - how distant, how mute, how seldom visited and little known. And I, too, am dim to my friends and unknown; a phantom, sometimes seen, often not. Life is a dream surely.
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I'll lift you and you lift me, and we'll both ascend together.
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