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Celebrating Everyday Spirituality

Sunflower Seeds

Celebrating Everyday Spirituality

Quotations Filed under “T”



As many of you know, I’ve been collecting quotations ever since I was in high school. I write them on 3″ X 5″ cards and file them away in alphabetical order. Every now and than I devote this blog to one of the topics in that file or one of the letters. Today we’re visiting some of the quotes filed under the letter “T.” Here goes…


1. Tact: “Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy.” Howard Newton


2. Tagore: This great Indian poet wrote: “Only let me make my life simple and straight

like a flute of reed for Thee to fill with music.”


“Make my life a flute for Thee to fill with music…”



3. Teach: “To teach is to learn twice.” Joseph Joubert


4. Teach: “I am not a teacher—only a fellow traveler of whom you asked the way. I pointed ahead—ahead of myself as well as of you.” George Bernard Shaw


5. Teach: “The art of teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths theater.” Gail Godwin


6. Temptation: “There are several good protections against temptation, but the surest is cowardice.” Mark Twain


7. Thanksgiving: “To be a saint is to be fueled by gratitude, nothing more and nothing less.” Richard Rohr


8. Thirst: “How poor a life is in which there is not thirst. Craving and longing and the restlessness which goes with them are a sort of consolation in themselves and a hint of likeness with God.” Janet Stuart

9. Time: “Nothing is worth more than this day.” Anonymous


10. Time: “I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see.” John Burrows


…these times are the only times we’ve got…


11: Time: “Three o’clock in the afternoon is always too late or too early for anything you want to do.” Jean-Paul Sartre.


12. Time: “Whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the only time we’ve got.” Art Buchwald


13: Tongue twister: The most difficult tongue twister in the English language is supposed to be: “The sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep is sick.” (Try it!)


14. Tradition: “Tradition means passing on the flame—not worshipping the ashes.” Gustav Mahler


15. Tradition: “Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes: our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who merely happen to be walking around.” G. K. Chesterton


16. Trust: “Do we trust God to act in all the events of our lives, or only the ones that meet our approval?” Barbara Brown Taylor


17. Trust: “Better to be occasionally cheated than perpetually suspicious.” B. C. Forbes


18. Trust: “Those who trust us educate us.” George Eliot


Those who trust us educate us…




19. Trust: “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” Corrie ten Boom


20. Truth: “The pursuit of truth is like picking raspberries. You miss a lot if you approach it from only one angle.” Randal Marlin


21. Truth: “The obvious is never the whole truth.” Carolyn Myss


22. Truth: “There are two ways to slide easily through life: to believe everything or to doubt everything. Both ways save us from thinking.” Alfred Karzybski


23. Truth: When someone asked how one can improve the moral atmosphere of an entire country, Aleksandr Solzenitsyn said, “…by never permitting falsehood of any kind to invade their conversation, professional work, meetings, writing.”


24: Truth: “Keep the company of those who seek the truth, and run away from those who have found it.” Vaclav Havel


25. Truth: “The truth will ouch.” Arnold Glasow


For reflection:


Are there any quotes that stood out for you? If so, which one(s) and why?


Are there any you would modify or rewrite? If so, which and why?


PS: Last week I wrote about getting a dose of beauty each day. I want to share with you some beauty that’s in my living room: my little pink African violet. Isn’t she pretty?! I bought her in Kentucky while visiting a friend down there. On the drive home, she fell over on the floor and some of her dirt spilled out. She was scraggly the first couple of months, but now look at her! She reminds me that major changes in our life can be traumatic. But given time and care, we can blossom once again.


Since some of the quotes were about time, I chose the song “Time in a Bottle” by Jim Croce. I know this song is an oldie, but it’s one I’ve always liked. Croce wrote the song circa 1970 when his wife told him she was pregnant. It focuses on love, especially so-called “romantic love.” But it is about other kinds of love too. My favorite line is, “You’re the one I want to go through time with.” We can say these words to our friends, family members, and even God, not so? As you listen to the song, give thanks for those individuals you are happy to be going through time with…




I welcome your comments below!

13 Responses

  1. I loved #20. “The pursuit of truth is like picking raspberries (blackberries).” You could always fill your basket picking behind someone.
    #9 hit home also because we suddenly lost a friend last week. She had just finished a busy day (after a weekend of celebrating she and her husbands 66th wedding anniversary). She sat down on her couch and had a massive heart attack and was gone.
    #4 was pertinent also since I used to be a piano teacher. Post Vatican 2 (when outdoor masses became the vogue and pianos were difficult to carry outside.), I suddenly became a guitar teacher. I only knew 2 chords when I began but I learned to play the guitar by doing and teaching others to do also. I kind of think life is like that.

  2. As always-many give me things to think about and some are timely reminders.

    (I didn’t receive this week’s post. I had to look it up this morning. Tried to re-subscribe but I’m already “in the system”. Don’t know what happened.)

  3. Sister Melanie your blog is something I look forward to each week. This week #16 on trust touched my heart and mind. So beautiful is the African violet 💜.

  4. #19, #20 & #22
    Always look forward to my weekly inspiration … even if I don’t get to it on Monday.
    Time in A Bottle is also one of my favorite songs.
    #13 is one I’ve tried countless times!

  5. Good morning, Sr. Melannie…
    Good morning, all…

    #5: So true! We teachers are on stage all day long! For forty years I’ve never been able to just lock my door and hide. No! The show must go on!
    #11: By this hour I’m about as useless as a wet bag of cement!
    #17: Yes, sometimes a student will do well on a quiz or test without having read the assigned pages. Oh well!
    #18: I think George Eliot is the wisest person of the 19th century. Trust creates calm, and calm creates learning.
    #24: People who know all the answers only pretend to listen.

    One of my own for all you educators (past and present): “Trust neither the zeal of September nor the despondency of June.”

    Happy summer!

  6. #14-Yhis one about tradition being a flame to pass on…This got me. As my parents are aging and talking about moving some of our traditions will change. This one made me think that the flame goes on, maybe in a different lantern or candle, but it goes on.

    #19-I found this quote from Corrie Ten Boom several years ago when my husband and I were struggling with a job and moving. I still carry it in my planner.(Yes, I use a paper one.)

    #25 I love this one. As a fellow(although unsystematic) quote collector, I have this one too.

  7. Good Morning Sister and Fellow Travelers
    We are all striving for the same place, not knowing when, but we do know where ♥️🕊
    I loved this Morning’s Message and the Haunting Song! The words and his voice make it unforgettable.
    Always begin my Day with the rest of Y’all, My Unknown Friends ♥️😊
    Blessings to You
    Rosemary

  8. I loved the quote about teaching being 1/4 prep. I once shocked a trainer in CCD,by saying I only glance at the up coming lesson. What I meant was I prefer to open the book and learn with the students. I ask questions,they ask questions. We discuss,and I belive we retain more of the lesson that way. Yes I do prepare a little.The Holy Spirit is always helping me,so why do I need alot of prep.

  9. One of my all time favorites –
    TACT – Being able to tell someone where to go so nicely that they actually look forward to the trip!

  10. Good morning, Sr. Melannie 😁
    Solzenitsyn’s remark about truth’s impact on a country’s morals (#23) is so timely! Gave me pause.
    I also enjoyed your Reflection today on Give Us This Day encouraging us to look not only at our independence this July 4th but our INTERdependence! Good food for thought. May God bless you!

  11. I like #18 – Those you trust us, educate us.
    My Mom is 89, in a memory care community,
    has dementia but still aware of many things. I do what I can to support her throughvarious medical things that come up. I explains when I know she is anxious and worried, but then she trusts me I have been educated so much!
    PS. Thank you for sharing your African Violet picture. I have a purple one, whose blooms are endless!

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Hi and welcome to my blog! I’m Sister Melannie, a Sister of Notre Dame residing in Chardon, Ohio, USA. I’ve been very lucky! I was raised in a loving family on a small farm in northeast Ohio. I also entered the SNDs right after high school. Over the years, my ministries have included high school and college teaching, novice director, congregational leadership, spiritual direction, retreat facilitating, and writing. I hope you enjoy “Sunflower Seeds” and will consider subscribing below. I’d love to have you in our “sunflower community.” Thank you!

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