Birth, life, and death― each took place on the hidden side of a leaf.
Interpretation
This quote reflects on the hidden and intricate nature of existence, emphasizing that life events are often concealed from the public eye.
Toni Morrison's quote highlights the idea that pivotal moments of birth, life, and death occur in secret, much like the concealed aspects of a leaf. It suggests that the most significant experiences in life often unfold out of sight, reminding us that reality is more complex and layered than what is visible on the surface. This metaphor encourages contemplation of the unseen elements that shape our existence and the deeper stories that weave through our lives.
In practice
In a speech about the complexities of life, one could use this quote to emphasize the unseen battles people face.
There is a certain kind of peace that is not merely the absence of war. It is larger than that. The peace I am thinking of is not at the mercy of history's rule, nor is it a passive surrender to the status quo. The peace I am thinking of is the dance of an open mind when it engages another equally open one -- an activity that occurs most naturally, most often in the reading/writing world we live in. Accessible as it is, this particular kind of peace warrants vigilance.
You looking good." "Devil's confusion. He lets me look good long as I feel bad.
What do you say? There really are no words for that. There really aren't. Somebody tries to say, 'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.' People say that to me. There's no language for it. Sorry doesn't do it. I think you should just hug people and mop their floor or something.
An innocent man is a sin before God. Inhuman and therefore untrustworthy. No man should live without absorbing the sins of his kind, the foul air of his innocence, even if it did wilt rows of angel trumpets and cause them to fall from their vines.
Like friendship, hatred needed more than physical intimacy; it wanted creativity and hard work to sustain itself
One of my kids was born in 1968. There were going to be political difficulties, but they were never going to have that level of hatred and contempt that my brothers and my sister and myself were exposed to.
[H]owever weak our country may be, I hope we shall never sacrifice our liberties.
The more uncertain I have felt about myself, the more there has grown up in me a feeling of kinship with all things.
I don't have no fear of death. My only fear is coming back reincarnated.
Men that look no further than their outsides, think health an appurtenance unto life, and quarrel with their constitutions for being sick; but I that have examined the parts of man, and know upon what tender filaments that fabric hangs, do wonder that we are not always so; and considering the thousand doors that lead to death, do thank my God that we can die but once.
The day we stop exploring is the day we commit ourselves to live in a stagnant world, devoid of curiosity, empty of dreams.
Peace is liberty in tranquillity.
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