What was any art but a mould in which to imprison for a moment the shining elusive element which is life itself - life hurrying past us and running away, too strong to stop, too sweet to lose.
Willa CatherRead
Only solitary men know the full joys of frienship. Others have their family; but to a solitary and an exile, his friends are everything.
Interpretation
True friends provide immense joy, especially to those who feel alone or apart from their families.
Willa Cather's quote underscores the profound significance of friendship, particularly for individuals who are solitary or feel disconnected from their families. For those who find themselves in isolation, friendships become essential, providing not just companionship but a source of joy and emotional support that family might not fulfill in the same way. In essence, for a solitary person, friends are not merely companions; they are vital to their happiness and sense of belonging.
In practice
In a speech about the importance of friendship during hard times.
What was any art but a mould in which to imprison for a moment the shining elusive element which is life itself - life hurrying past us and running away, too strong to stop, too sweet to lose.
That is happiness; to be dissolved into something complete and great.
Our tree became the talking tree of the fairy tale; legends and stories nestled like birds in its branches.
Writing ought either to be the manufacture of stories for which there is a market demand - a business as safe and commendable as making soap or breakfast foods - or it should be an art, which is always a search for something for which there is no market demand, something new and untried, where the values are intrinsic and have nothing to do with standardized values.
The air and the earth interpenetrated in the warm gusts of spring; the soil was full of sunlight, and the sunlight full of red dust. The air one breathed was saturated with earthy smells, and the grass under foot had a reflection of the blue sky in it.
This is reality, whether you like it or not--all those frivolities of summer, the light and shadow, the living mask of green that trembled over everything, they were lies, and this is what was underneath. This is the truth.
I've come to give you your gift back, Mordeth," Cauthon whispered. "I consider our debt paid in full.
You cannot get me to be disloyal to a friend. You just can't do it. Loyalty is a part of what I live by. I didn't say I was going to be loyal to my friend because he was right. I'm going to be loyal to my friend because he's my friend.
That is the remarkable thing about drinking: it brings people together so quickly, but between night and morning it sets an interval again of years.
I want to be around people who dream and support and do things.
They might not need me; but they might. I'll let my head be just in sight; a smile as small as mine might be precisely their necessity.
The best thing you can possibly do for a friend is to be his friend.
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