When silence is a choice, it is an unnerving presence. When silence is imposed, it is censorship.
Terry Tempest WilliamsRead
I am slowly, painfully discovering that my refuge is not found in my mother, my grandmother, of even the birds of Bear River. My refuge exists in my capacity to love. If I can learn to love death then I can begin to find refuge in change.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True refuge comes from within oneself and the ability to embrace love, even in the face of loss.
In this quote, Terry Tempest Williams reflects on the journey of understanding that true solace does not lie in external sources, such as family or nature, but rather in one's ability to love deeply. By recognizing the importance of love, including the acceptance of death, one can find comfort and resilience in the constant changes of life.
Themes
RefugeLoveChangeAcceptanceResilience
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about embracing change after loss, you might quote this to emphasize the importance of internal strength.
More from Terry Tempest Williams
All quotes →The human heart is the first home of democracy. It is where we embrace our questions: Can we be equitable? Can we be generous? Can we listen with our whole beings, not just our minds, and offer our attention rather than our opinion? And do we have enough resolve in our hearts to act courageously, relentlessly, without giving up, trusting our fellow citizens to join us in our determined pursuit-a living democracy?
Terry Tempest WilliamsRead
Once upon a time, when women were birds, there was the simple understanding that to sing at dawn, and to sing at dusk, was to heal the world through joy. The birds still remember what we have forgotten, that the world is meant to be celebrated.
Terry Tempest WilliamsRead
How do we remain faithful to our own spiritual imagination and not betray what we know in our own bodies? The world is holy. We are holy. All life is holy.
Terry Tempest WilliamsRead
The Eyes of the Future are looking back at us and they are praying for us to see beyond our own time.
Terry Tempest WilliamsRead
Women piece together their lives from the scraps left over for them.
Terry Tempest WilliamsRead
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