My mother had a horrific life. At fourteen, she was in the Nazi concentration camps. Her sense about life now is, every day above ground is a good day.
Interpretation
Every day is valuable and can be seen positively, especially after experiencing hardship.
This quote emphasizes the resilience and optimistic perspective of Gene Simmons' mother, who despite experiencing unimaginable trauma during her youth, has learned to appreciate life itself. It illustrates that even after enduring severe suffering, one can find joy and gratitude in simply being alive, reflecting a profound understanding of life's value.
In practice
In a speech about perseverance, one might quote Gene Simmons to remind the audience of the value of each day.
It's in the history books, the Holocaust. It's just a phrase. And the truth is it happened yesterday. It happened to my mother. I never met my grandfathers or my grandmothers. They were all wiped up in the gas chambers of Nazi Germany.
How odd to watch a mortal kindle / Then to dwindle day by day / Knowing their bright souls are tinder / And the wind will have its way
Grief doesn't have a plot. It isn't smooth. There is no beginning and middle and end.
If it's wild to your own heart, protect it. Preserve it. Love it. And fight for it, and dedicate yourself to it, whether it's a mountain range, your wife, your husband, or even (god forbid) your job. It doesn't matter if it's wild to anyone else: if it's what makes your heart sing, if it's what makes your days soar like a hawk in the summertime, then focus on it. Because for sure, it's wild, and if it's wild, it'll mean you're still free. No matter where you are.
Hope is the last thing that dies in man; and though it be exceedingly deceitful, yet it is of this good use to us, that while we are traveling through life it conducts us in an easier and more pleasant way to our journey's end.
But sometimes, unexpectedly, grief pounded over me in waves that left me gasping; and when the waves washed back, I found myself looking out over a brackish wreck which was illumined in a light so lucid, so heartsick and empty, that I could hardly remember that the world had ever been anything but dead.
Life is filled with potential that is truly unfathomable. At last we are coming to see the enormous power it possesses. That is why we must never write anyone off. In particular, we mustnβt put boundaries on our own potential. In most cases, our so-called limitations are nothing more than our own decision to limit ourselves.
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