And the secret garden bloomed and bloomed and every morning revealed new miracles.
Frances Hodgson BurnettRead
If nature has made you for a giver, your hands are born open, and so is your heart; and though there may be times when your hands are empty, your heart is always full, and you can give things out of that--warm things, kind things, sweet things--help and comfort and laughter--and sometimes gay, kind laughter is the best help of all.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote speaks to the intrinsic generosity of those who are naturally inclined to give, suggesting that even when one has little material wealth, the ability to offer kindness and joy remains abundant.
Frances Hodgson Burnett emphasizes that individuals who are naturally inclined to generosity possess not only open hands but also open hearts. Even in times of scarcity, true generosity springs from a full heart, allowing one to give the warmth of kindness, comfort, and laughter, which can often be more valuable than material gifts. The essence of this quote is that the emotional and spiritual support we provide can be a greater contribution to others' lives than tangible offerings.
Themes
GenerosityKindnessNatureGivingHeartLaughter
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech at a charity event, one might use this quote to highlight the importance of giving.
More from Frances Hodgson Burnett
All quotes →It's so different to be a sparrow. But nobody asked this rat if he wanted to be a rat when he was made. Nobody said, 'Wouldn't you rather be a sparrow?
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As long as you have a garden you have a future and as long as you have a future you are alive.
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Somehow, something always happens just before things get to the very worst. It is as if Magic did it. If I could only just remember that always. The worse thing never quite comes.
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At that moment a very good thing was happening to her. Four good things had happened to her, in fact, since she came to Misselthwaite Manor. She had felt as if she had understood a robin and that he had understood her; she had run in the wind until her blood had grown warm; she had been healthily hungry for the first time in her life; and she had found out what it was to be sorry for someone.
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Are you learning me by heart, little Sara?" he said, stroking her hair. "No," she answered. "I know you by heart. You are inside my heart.
Frances Hodgson BurnettRead
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