And the secret garden bloomed and bloomed and every morning revealed new miracles.
Frances Hodgson BurnettRead
I am a princess. All girls are. Even if they live in tiny old attics. Even if they dress in rags, even if they aren’t pretty, or smart, or young. They’re still princesses.
Interpretation
Every girl possesses inherent worth and dignity, regardless of her circumstances or appearance.
This quote celebrates the intrinsic value and royal spirit of every girl, asserting that true princesshood comes not from physical beauty or wealth, but from recognizing one's own self-worth and dignity. It suggests that even those who may seem less fortunate or who struggle with self-image are still deserving of respect and admiration, much like a princess, thus encouraging women to embrace their identity and strength.
In practice
During a women's empowerment seminar, one might use this quote to emphasize the importance of self-worth.
And the secret garden bloomed and bloomed and every morning revealed new miracles.
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?
As long as you have a garden you have a future and as long as you have a future you are alive.
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.
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.
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.
A woman I loved [Andi Parhamovich] was killed in Baghdad in January 2007 – al-Qaeda in Iraq took credit for it … The memorial service with me crying over an empty coffin.
Love is the ability and willingness to allow those that you care for to be what they choose for themselves without any insistence that they satisfy you.
Unselfish love does not exploit its object and it does not ask for anything in return.
And now I’m looking at you,” he said, “and you’re asking me if I still want you, as if I could stop loving you. As if I would want to give up the thing that makes me stronger than anything else ever has. I never dared give much of myself to anyone before – bits of myself to the Lightwoods, to Isabelle and Alec, but it took years to do it – but, Clary, since the first time I saw you, I have belonged to you completely. I still do. If you want me.
Saints are ordinary people who do what they do for the love of Jesus, say what they must say without fear, love their neighbor even when they are cursed by him, and live without regret over yesterday or fear of tomorrow.
We forget some of the oldest medicines we have are love and compassion, and they can be deployed by everyone.
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