#distance

I’d felt this before, when my granddad was in the hospital before he died. We all camped out in the waiting room, eating our meals together, most of us sleeping in the chairs every night. Family from far-flung places would arrive at odd hours and we’d all stand and stretch, hug, get reacquainted, and pass the babies around. A faint, pale stream of beauty and joy flowed through the heavy sludge of fear and grief. It was kind of like those puddles of oil you see in parking lots that look ugly until the sun hits them and you see rainbows pulling together in the middle of the mess. And wasn’t that just how life usually felt—a confusing swirl of ugly and rainbow? ↗

— Laura Anderson Kurk

#death #depression #family #glass-girl #grief

My dad used to say, ‘This is what your right arm’s for, son,’” John said. “This is the time and these are the people and I’d give my right arm to be a light, a comfort, to them. I know you would, too. In whatever form it takes. Use these materials and make something great. Do it on faith, knowing you probably won’t be around to see how the story ends. ↗

— Laura Anderson Kurk

#dedication #glass-girl #high-school #laura-anderson-kurk #long-distance-relationships

Henry drew a shaky breath. “Do me a favor, Meg.” “Anything,” I whispered. “Don’t fall for Quinn O’Neill. If you’re going to do this thing with him…go to this dance, don’t fall for him.” “Never,” I said. “I promise.” “Because I’m all filled up on sad right now.” He sniffed again and I could tell he was more in control. “And you can’t ask me to sit by and watch you get all caught up in this guy. I can’t handle that—thinking he swept you off your feet because he bathed in body spray and dressed up.” His voice sounded rough. “I know you think I’m being funny right now, but I’m completely serious. Don’t make me watch that happen.” “You know my heart,” I said. “It’s yours. ↗

— Laura Anderson Kurk

#college #dating #glass-girl #henry-whitmire #high-school

Do more than is required. What is the distance between someone who achieves their goals consistently and those who spend their lives and careers merely following? The extra mile. ↗

— Gary Ryan Blair

#achieves #between #careers #consistently #distance

Time and distance from the first and second world wars doesn't seem to lessen their horrors. ↗

— Doris Lessing

#first #horrors #lessen #second #seem

Morality without religion is only a kind of dead reckoning - an endeavor to find our place on a cloudy sea by measuring the distance we have run, but without any observation of the heavenly bodies. ↗

— Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

#bodies #cloudy #dead #distance #endeavor

Have you ever, on a cloudless night, looked down from a passing aircraft flying over Canada? Endless, glowing strings of cities, towns, and homesteads. Stretching on and on, one province to the next. With only the stars in the distance. ↗

— Paul Martin

#canada #cities #distance #down #endless

I'm used to short distances and short bursts of energy; it was just fastest. ↗

— Shannon Miller

#distances #energy #fastest #i #just

Now, I'm not suggesting we're going to wait 40 years or even four years, but I think we have to put in perspective the fact that we've come quite a distance. We have quite a distance to come - go, as well. ↗

— Michael Chertoff

#distance #even #fact #four #go

Distance not only gives nostalgia, but perspective, and maybe objectivity. ↗

— Robert Morgan

#gives #maybe #nostalgia #objectivity #only