Thoughts To Ponder

At a recent meeting of the Quotidians, (the group of quote lovers who meet regularly to rekindle wisdom from past eras), it was decided to provide thoughts from the great sages of the ages to help us navigate our emotions during these challenging political times.

With this in mind, a group was formed which decided among themselves to be called the Emotional Support Team (EST) and, in a matter of minutes chose to focus on the soothing words written by the beloved nineteenth century American essayist, philosopher, and poet Henry David Thoreau. A naturalist and existentialist as well, he is best known for his book “Walden” and his essay “Civil Disobedience” which advocated for disobedience against an unjust state. 

Below, are a few hand-picked quotes from Thoreau for us all to contemplate.

My favorite is, “All things in this world must be seen with youthful, hopeful eyes.” These words from Thoreau remind us that youthfulness is filled with zest for life and a fighting spirit that allows no one to quell it.

I’m all for having youthful eyes, and difficult as it may be to see anything in a positive light at this moment, Thoreau thought differently, saying, “There is no beginning too small.” Even the smallest step toward any goal tends to bring its own comforting sign of hope.

As a naturalist and advocate of living simply, Thoreau also spoke simply, bringing to light the undeniable wisdom that, “Truth and roses have thorns about them.” It certainly holds true today that whatever one might hear coming from the oval office, the outcome is neither black or white, and no matter what kind of justice one longs for or ultimately gets, the beauty and fragrance of the “rose” we perceive may also leave us with an unwanted, nasty prick.

We can comfort ourselves and reduce our stress by knowing that we are not the first generation to feel forlorn or miserable in the face of loss. Thoreau, himself said, “When were the good and the brave ever in a majority?” 

But many Quotidians wondered aloud how the men and women of Thoreau’s generation dealt with such troublesome times. 

The answer may come from one of his quotes, I said to the group: “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.”

With that, the Quotidians gave themselves a rousing applause for a productive evening and ended the meeting satisfied there was at least still some hope for the future.