Reflections and philosophical thought

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel, read only a page."

- Saint Augustine

posted by Pamela 7:39 PM + E-mail

Sunday, October 28, 2001

"For after all, the best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain."

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

posted by Pamela 8:02 PM + E-mail

Friday, October 26, 2001

"Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down."

- Oprah Winfrey

posted by Pamela 9:23 AM + E-mail

Thursday, October 25, 2001

"The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is at all comprehensible."

- Albert Einstein

posted by Pamela 11:03 AM + E-mail

Monday, October 22, 2001

"He who thinks by the inch and talks by the yard deserves to be kicked by the foot."

- Anonymous

posted by Pamela 3:37 PM + E-mail

Saturday, October 20, 2001

Grieving

Look at all the people that have died in the past year, even before the jet crash into the World Trade Center buildings.

Chris
Darlene
Jim
Ron's daughter
Billy
Larry
Aviva's Dad
Josiah

I don't think I'm over Josiah's death even now. Does one ever get over the death of a seven-year-old child?

Even though I didn't know Jim or Ron's daughter, their deaths impacted our family because Keith worked with Jim and Ron. Keith was especially broken up over Jim's death because it was so unnecessary, and what affects Keith, affects me.

Unnecessary death? Aren't all deaths unnecessary... really? Larry, Aviva's husband, and her Dad were probably old enough to die. Larry had Alzheimer's disease and his mind was taken long before his time. With the death of her Dad, Aviva is now the oldest person in her family. I asked her, "Does this bother you?", and she said, "No." She looked plenty bothered to me.

The shocking feelings for me with the death of Chris and Billy is that they were both the same age as I am. Nothing like your friends dying right and left to make you come face-to-face with your own mortality.

Darlene had a stroke a while back, and she was never the same after that. I felt guilty because I didn't want to be around her. I saw her at a wedding and she would cry uncontrollably for no apparent reason. I knew she couldn't help it, but this was not the Darlene I knew and want to remember. The Darlene I cherish came over every day after Curtis was born to help out, do the laundry, and fix dinner. I was so touched by her unexpected kindness and I will never forget it.

I am now the same age as my grandmother when she died of a stroke. I've been teasing Keith all year that I'm dying this year. In a way, I have.

posted by Pamela 9:20 AM + E-mail

Wednesday, October 17, 2001

"The farther backwards you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see."

- Winston Churchill

posted by Pamela 8:15 AM + E-mail

Tuesday, October 16, 2001

"Kids need love the most when they're acting most unlovable."

- Erma Bombeck

posted by Pamela 11:06 AM + E-mail

Wednesday, October 03, 2001

"We judge ourselves by what we are capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done."