Faith given back to us after a night of doubt is a stronger thing, and far more valuable to us than faith that has never been tested.

Most of the basic truths of life sound absurd at first hearing.

The sun is still there... even if clouds drift over it. Once you have experienced the reality of sunshine you may weep, but you will never feel ice about your heart again.

She long ago accepted the fact that happiness is like, swallows in spring. It may come and nest under your eaves or it may not. You cannot command it.

All human beings have their otherness and it is that which cries out to the heart.

In a world where thrushes sing and willow trees are golden in the spring, boredom should have been included among the seven deadly sins.

The child in us is always there, you know, and it's the best part of us, the winged part that travels farthest.

Happy the man who lives long enough to acknowledge his ignorance

Not quite birds, as they were not quite flowers, mysterious and fascinating as are all indeterminate creatures.

He grinned at her, and she grinned at him, and it seemed to Maria that suddenly the sun came out.

Peace ... was contingent upon a certain disposition of the soul, a disposition to receive the gift that only detachment from self made possible.

The more you keep your religious beliefs concealed from others, the lesser religious conflicts occur in the society.

I would hate the thought of dying full stop; Ive got to be honest with you.

A simple job for simple people.

And I think it's really easy for people to point out hypocrisy in people's lives.

Youth is fair, a graceful stag, Leaping, playing in a park. Age is gray, a toothless hag, Stumbling in the dark.

I have an older brother who is 21 and attends UC Berkley.

Let's throw it on the wall and see if it sticks.

You got to remember that slavery's very complex. It has a lot of levels to it.

You have these 'hot towers', tropical storm clouds acting like chimneys to carry heat to the upper atmosphere.

I chose the trombone because the trombone players in the marching band got to be up front with the majorettes (because of the slides) and I loved that!