I hope, if you should live to grow up, you will endeavour to be very useful and not spend all your time in pleasing yourself.
Elizabeth FryRead
The loveliest, sweetest flower that bloomed in paradise, and the first that died, has rarely blossomed since on mortal soil. It is so frail, so delicate, a thing, it is gone if it but look upon itself; and she who ventures to esteem it hers proves by that single thought she has it not.
Interpretation
This quote reflects on the ephemeral nature of beauty and love, suggesting that true appreciation can lessen its value.
Elizabeth Fry's quote captures the fragility of beautiful things, especially love, implying that their rarity and delicacy make them incredibly precious. It conveys a profound truth about how possessing something as beautiful as love can alter its value, as true admiration may come with the realization of its unattainable nature, leading to a deeper sense of loss and longing.
In practice
This quote can be used during a wedding ceremony to highlight the delicate nature of love.
I hope, if you should live to grow up, you will endeavour to be very useful and not spend all your time in pleasing yourself.
He who falls in love with himself will have no rivals.
There is no living with thee, nor without thee.
Love that is not jealous is neither true nor pure.
The honorary duty of a human being is to love.
When you come right down to it, the secret to having it all is loving it all.
Love is simply the name for the desire and the pursuit of the whole.
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