Perhaps it is the greatest grief, after all, to be left on earth when another is gone.
Madeline MillerRead
We were like gods at the dawning of the world, & our joy was so bright we could see nothing else but the other.
Interpretation
The quote expresses a profound connection and joy experienced in a relationship, likening it to divine feelings.
In this quote, Madeline Miller captures the euphoria and intensity of love, suggesting that in the early stages of a deep connection, individuals can feel almost transcendent, as if they possess a god-like joy that eclipses everything else. The image of being 'like gods at the dawning of the world' evokes a sense of wonder and new beginnings, focusing solely on the cherished bond shared with another person, enhancing the beauty and exclusivity of this love.
In practice
In a wedding speech, to highlight the divine feeling of love.
Perhaps it is the greatest grief, after all, to be left on earth when another is gone.
When I first started studying Greek, one of my absolute favorite parts was realizing that so many English words had these old, secret roots. Learning Greek was like being given a super-power: linguistic x-ray vision.
I found myself grinning until my cheeks hurt, my scalp prickling till I thought it might lift off my head. My tongue ran away from me, giddy with freedom. This, and this, and this, I said to him. I did not have to fear that I spoke too much. I did not have to worry that I was too slender, or too slow. This and this and this! I taught him how to skip stones, and he taught me how to carve wood. I could feel every nerve in my body, every brush of air against my skin.
I stopped watching for ridicule, the scorpion's tail hidden in his words. He said what he meant; he was puzzled if you did not. Some people might have mistaken this for simplicity. But is it not a sort of genius to cut always to the heart?
Chiron had said once that nations were the most foolish of mortal inventions. "No man is worth more than another, wherever he is from.
God is to be worshiped as the one Beloved, dearer than everything in this and the next life.
No man more truly loves God than he that is most fearful to offend Him.
Old hands soil, it seems, whatever they caress, but they too have their beauty when they are joined in prayer. Young hands were made for caresses and the sheathing of love. It is a pity to make them join too soon.
Generally, the shaking is consciously felt in its positive aspects β as the wonderful new heaven and earth which love with its miracle and mystery has suddenly produced. Love is the answer, we sing. Our Western culture seems to be engaged in a romantic - albeit desperate - conspiracy to enforce the illusion that that is all there is to eros.
Falling out of love is chiefly a matter of forgetting how charming someone is.
If you really love one another, you will not be able to avoid making sacrifices.
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