The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family.
Interpretation
True happiness often comes from the time spent with family in the comfort of home.
In this quote, Thomas Jefferson emphasizes the profound joy and fulfillment found in domestic life, particularly within the family unit. He reflects on his happiest experiences as those spent in the warmth and security of home, suggesting that the connections we cultivate with our loved ones can be the most rewarding and cherished moments of our lives.
In practice
Sharing this quote during a family gathering can highlight the importance of family bonds.
The firmness with which the (American) people have withstood the... abuses of the press, the discernment they have manifested between truth and falsehood, show that they may safely be trusted to hear everything true and false and to form a correct judgment between them.
I, place economy among the first & most important republican virtues, & public debt as the greatest of the dangers to be feared
βWe must make our choice between economy and liberty or confusion and servitude...If we run into such debts, we must be taxed in our meat and drink, in our necessities and comforts, in our labor and in our amusements...if we can prevent the government from wasting the labor of the people, under the pretense of caring for them, they will be happy.
Very many and very meritorious were the worthy patriots who assisted in bringing back our government to its republican tack. To preserve it in that, will require unremitting vigilance.
A nation, as a society, forms a moral person, and every member of it is personally responsible for his society.
Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.
Compassion for our parents is the true sign of maturity.
Often, I am asked, 'What was your father like?' or, 'What would he think?' These are very difficult questions to answer, as I was so very young when I lost my father.
I think birth and motherhood are not things that you're trained to do. You might have a good example in your own mum, but nobody teaches you how to be a really great mum.
My kids are normal. If they could eat burgers and fries and ice cream every day, they would. And so would I. But that doesn't sustain us.
A mother's love is a blessing No matter where you roam. Keep her while you have her, You'll miss her when she's gone -- Angela's Ashes.
I just hope I remember to tell my kids that they are as happy as I look in my old photographs. And I hope that they believe me.
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