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They seemed to come suddenly upon happiness as if they had surprised a butterfly in the winter woods
Edith Wharton
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Happiness can come unexpectedly, often catching us off guard in moments of stillness.

In this quote, Edith Wharton illustrates the fleeting and surprising nature of happiness. Just as one might stumble upon a vibrant butterfly amidst the starkness of winter woods, happiness can arrive unexpectedly in our lives, reminding us to appreciate these rare and beautiful moments when they occur.

Themes

HappinessSurpriseBeautyMomentsNature

In practice

Example use cases

A speaker at a wellness retreat discussing the unexpected joys in life could use this quote.

More from Edith Wharton

They are all alike you know. They hold their tongues for years and you think you're safe, but when the opportunity comes they remember everything.
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Set wide the window. Let me drink the day.
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And I wonder, among all the tangles of this mortal coil, which one contains tighter knots to undo, & consequently suggests more tugging, & pain, & diversified elements of misery, than the marriage tie.
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As he paid the hansom and followed his wife's long train into the house he took refuge in the comforting platitude that the first six months were always the most difficult in marriage. 'After that I suppose we shall have pretty nearly finished rubbing off each other’s angles,' he reflected; but the worst of it was that May's pressure was already bearing on the very angles whose sharpness he most wanted to keep
Edith WhartonRead
There are two ways to spread happiness; either be the light who shines it or be the mirror who reflects it.
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The real loneliness is living among all these kind people who only ask one to pretend!
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