Each day, and the living of it, has to be a conscious creation in which discipline and order are relieved with some play and pure foolishness.
May SartonRead
Here life goes on, even and monotonous on the surface, full of lightning, of summits and of despair, in its depths. We have now arrived at a stage in life so rich in new perceptions that cannot be transmitted to those at another stage - one feels at the same time full of so much gentleness and so much despair - the enigma of this life grows, grows, drowns one and crushes one, then all of a sudden in a supreme moment of light one becomes aware of the sacred.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Life is a complex mix of experiences that encompass both joy and despair, leading us to profound realizations.
In this quote, May Sarton reflects on the intricate nature of life, noting that beneath its monotonous surface lies a wealth of emotions and experiences. She highlights the tension between gentleness and despair that shapes our understanding of existence. As we navigate through life's challenges, moments of clarity can emerge, allowing us to recognize the sacred aspects of our experiences, even amidst the chaos. This duality reveals the richness of life and the depth of human perception.
Themes
LifePerceptionEmotionSacredStruggle
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used during a speech about the complexities of life experiences.
More from May Sarton
All quotes →Pain can make a whole winter bright, like fever, force us to live deep and hard.
May SartonRead
She became for me an island of light, fun, wisdom where I could run with my discoveries and torments and hopes at any time of day and find welcome.
May SartonRead
Wrinkles here and there seem unimportant compared to the Gestalt of the whole person I have become in this past year.
May SartonRead
I think of the trees and how simply they let go, let fall the riches of a season, how without grief (it seems) they can let go and go deep into their roots for renewal and sleep.... Imitate the trees. Learn to lose in order to recover, and remember that nothing stays the same for long, not even pain, psychic pain. Sit it out. Let it all pass. Let it go.
May SartonRead
I would like to believe when I die that I have given myself away like a tree that sows seed every spring and never counts the loss, because it is not loss, it is adding to future life. It is the tree's way of being. Strongly rooted perhaps, but spilling out its treasure on the wind.
May SartonRead
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