First Life Quotes

I no longer believed in the idea of soul mates, or love at first sight. But I was beginning to believe that a very few times in your life, if you were lucky, you might meet someone who was exactly right for you. Not because he was perfect, or because you were, but because your combined flaws were arranged in a way that allowed two separate beings to hinge together.

There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life.

You should date a girl who reads. Date a girl who reads. Date a girl who spends her money on books instead of clothes, who has problems with closet space because she has too many books. Date a girl who has a list of books she wants to read, who has had a library card since she was twelve. Find a girl who reads. You’ll know that she does because she will always have an unread book in her bag. She’s the one lovingly looking over the shelves in the bookstore, the one who quietly cries out when she has found the book she wants. You see that weird chick sniffing the pages of an old book in a secondhand book shop? That’s the reader. They can never resist smelling the pages, especially when they are yellow and worn. She’s the girl reading while waiting in that coffee shop down the street. If you take a peek at her mug, the non-dairy creamer is floating on top because she’s kind of engrossed already. Lost in a world of the author’s making. Sit down. She might give you a glare, as most girls who read do not like to be interrupted. Ask her if she likes the book. Buy her another cup of coffee. Let her know what you really think of Murakami. See if she got through the first chapter of Fellowship. Understand that if she says she understood James Joyce’s Ulysses she’s just saying that to sound intelligent. Ask her if she loves Alice or she would like to be Alice. It’s easy to date a girl who reads. Give her books for her birthday, for Christmas, for anniversaries. Give her the gift of words, in poetry and in song. Give her Neruda, Pound, Sexton, Cummings. Let her know that you understand that words are love. Understand that she knows the difference between books and reality but by god, she’s going to try to make her life a little like her favorite book. It will never be your fault if she does. She has to give it a shot somehow. Lie to her. If she understands syntax, she will understand your need to lie. Behind words are other things: motivation, value, nuance, dialogue. It will not be the end of the world. Fail her. Because a girl who reads knows that failure always leads up to the climax. Because girls who read understand that all things must come to end, but that you can always write a sequel. That you can begin again and again and still be the hero. That life is meant to have a villain or two. Why be frightened of everything that you are not? Girls who read understand that people, like characters, develop. Except in the Twilight series. If you find a girl who reads, keep her close. When you find her up at 2 AM clutching a book to her chest and weeping, make her a cup of tea and hold her. You may lose her for a couple of hours but she will always come back to you. She’ll talk as if the characters in the book are real, because for a while, they always are. You will propose on a hot air balloon. Or during a rock concert. Or very casually next time she’s sick. Over Skype. You will smile so hard you will wonder why your heart hasn’t burst and bled out all over your chest yet. You will write the story of your lives, have kids with strange names and even stranger tastes. She will introduce your children to the Cat in the Hat and Aslan, maybe in the same day. You will walk the winters of your old age together and she will recite Keats under her breath while you shake the snow off your boots. Date a girl who reads because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can give you the most colorful life imaginable. If you can only give her monotony, and stale hours and half-baked proposals, then you’re better off alone. If you want the world and the worlds beyond it, date a girl who reads. Or better yet, date a girl who writes.

When you're following your inner voice, doors tend to eventually open for you, even if they mostly slam at first.

I've apparently been the victim of growing up, which apparently happens to all of us at one point or another. It's been going on for quite some time now, without me knowing it. I've found that growing up can mean a lot of things. For me, it doesn't mean I should become somebody completely new and stop loving the things I used to love. It means I've just added more things to my list. Like for example, I'm still beyond obsessed with the winter season and I still start putting up strings of lights in September. I still love sparkles and grocery shopping and really old cats that are only nice to you half the time. I still love writing in my journal and wearing dresses all the time and staring at chandeliers. But some new things I've fallen in love with -- mismatched everything. Mismatched chairs, mismatched colors, mismatched personalities. I love spraying perfumes I used to wear when I was in high school. It brings me back to the days of trying to get a close parking spot at school, trying to get noticed by soccer players, and trying to figure out how to avoid doing or saying anything uncool, and wishing every minute of every day that one day maybe I'd get a chance to win a Grammy. Or something crazy and out of reach like that. ;) I love old buildings with the paint chipping off the walls and my dad's stories about college. I love the freedom of living alone, but I also love things that make me feel seven again. Back then naivety was the norm and skepticism was a foreign language, and I just think every once in a while you need fries and a chocolate milkshake and your mom. I love picking up a cookbook and closing my eyes and opening it to a random page, then attempting to make that recipe. I've loved my fans from the very first day, but they've said things and done things recently that make me feel like they're my friends -- more now than ever before. I'll never go a day without thinking about our memories together.

Give me liberty or give me death." [From a speech given at Saint John's Church in Richmond, Virginia on March 23, 1775 to the Virginia House of Burgesses; as first published in print in 1817 in William Wirt's Life and Character of Patrick Henry.]

I want you to tell me about every person you’ve ever been in love with. Tell me why you loved them, then tell me why they loved you. Tell me about a day in your life you didn’t think you’d live through. Tell me what the word home means to you and tell me in a way that I’ll know your mother’s name just by the way you describe your bedroom when you were eight. See, I want to know the first time you felt the weight of hate, and if that day still trembles beneath your bones. Do you prefer to play in puddles of rain or bounce in the bellies of snow? And if you were to build a snowman, would you rip two branches from a tree to build your snowman arms or would leave your snowman armless for the sake of being harmless to the tree? And if you would, would you notice how that tree weeps for you because your snowman has no arms to hug you every time you kiss him on the cheek? Do you kiss your friends on the cheek? Do you sleep beside them when they’re sad even if it makes your lover mad? Do you think that anger is a sincere emotion or just the timid motion of a fragile heart trying to beat away its pain? See, I wanna know what you think of your first name, and if you often lie awake at night and imagine your mother’s joy when she spoke it for the very first time. I want you to tell me all the ways you’ve been unkind. Tell me all the ways you’ve been cruel. Tell me, knowing I often picture Gandhi at ten years old beating up little boys at school. If you were walking by a chemical plant where smokestacks were filling the sky with dark black clouds would you holler “Poison! Poison! Poison!” really loud or would you whisper “That cloud looks like a fish, and that cloud looks like a fairy!” Do you believe that Mary was really a virgin? Do you believe that Moses really parted the sea? And if you don’t believe in miracles, tell me — how would you explain the miracle of my life to me? See, I wanna know if you believe in any god or if you believe in many gods or better yet what gods believe in you. And for all the times that you’ve knelt before the temple of yourself, have the prayers you asked come true? And if they didn’t, did you feel denied? And if you felt denied, denied by who? I wanna know what you see when you look in the mirror on a day you’re feeling good. I wanna know what you see when you look in the mirror on a day you’re feeling bad. I wanna know the first person who taught you your beauty could ever be reflected on a lousy piece of glass. If you ever reach enlightenment will you remember how to laugh? Have you ever been a song? Would you think less of me if I told you I’ve lived my entire life a little off-key? And I’m not nearly as smart as my poetry I just plagiarize the thoughts of the people around me who have learned the wisdom of silence. Do you believe that concrete perpetuates violence? And if you do — I want you to tell me of a meadow where my skateboard will soar. See, I wanna know more than what you do for a living. I wanna know how much of your life you spend just giving, and if you love yourself enough to also receive sometimes. I wanna know if you bleed sometimes from other people’s wounds, and if you dream sometimes that this life is just a balloon — that if you wanted to, you could pop, but you never would ‘cause you’d never want it to stop. If a tree fell in the forest and you were the only one there to hear — if its fall to the ground didn’t make a sound, would you panic in fear that you didn’t exist, or would you bask in the bliss of your nothingness? And lastly, let me ask you this: If you and I went for a walk and the entire walk, we didn’t talk — do you think eventually, we’d… kiss? No, wait. That’s asking too much — after all, this is only our first date.

Maybe from as early as when you're five or six, there's been a whisper going at the back of your head, saying: “One day, maybe not so long from now, you'll get to know how it feels.” So you're waiting, even if you don't quite know it, waiting for the moment when you realise that you really are different to them; that there are people out there, like Madame, who don't hate you or wish you any harm, but who nevertheless shudder at the very thought of you – of how you were brought into this world and why – and who dread the idea of your hand brushing against theirs. The first time you glimpse yourself through the eyes of a person like that, it's a cold moment. It's like walking past a mirror you've walked past every day of your life, and suddenly it shows you something else, something troubling and strange.

Why is love beyond all measure of other human possibilities so rich and such a sweet burden for the one who has been struck by it? Because we change ourselves into that which we love, and yet remain ourselves. Then we would like to thank the beloved, but find nothing that would do it adequately. We can only be thankful to ourselves. Love transforms gratitude into faithfulness to ourselves and into an unconditional faith in the Other. Thus love steadily expands its most intimate secret. Closeness here is existence in the greatest distance from the other- the distance that allows nothing to dissolve - but rather presents the “thou” in the transparent, but “incomprehensible” revelation of the “just there”. That the presence of the other breaks into our own life - this is what no feeling can fully encompass. Human fate gives itself to human fate, and it is the task of pure love to keep this self-surrender as vital as on the first day.

The wish of death had been palpably hanging over this otherwise idyllic paradise for a good many years. All business and politics is personal in the Philippines. If it wasn't for the cheap beer and lovely girls one of us would spend an hour in this dump. They [Jehovah's Witnesses] get some kind of frequent flyer points for each person who signs on. I'm not lazy. I'm just motivationally challenged. I'm not fat. I just have lots of stored energy. You don't get it do you? What people think of you matters more than the reality. Marilyn. Despite standing firm at the final hurdle Marilyn was always ready to run the race. After answering the question the woman bent down behind the stand out of sight of all, and crossed herself. It is amazing what you can learn in prison. Merely through casual conversation Rick had acquired the fundamentals of embezzlement, fraud and armed hold up. He wondered at the price of honesty in a grey world whose half tones changed faster than the weather. The banality of truth somehow always surprises the news media before they tart it up. You've ridden jeepneys in peak hour. Where else can you feel up a fourteen-year-old schoolgirl without even trying? [Ralph Winton on the Philippines finer points] Life has no bottom. No matter how bad things are or how far one has sunk things can always get worse. You could call the Oval Office an information rain shadow. In the Philippines, a whole layer of criminals exists who consider that it is their right to rob you unhindered. If you thwart their wicked desires, to their way of thinking you have stolen from them and are evil. There's honest and dishonest corruption in this country. Don't enjoy it too much for it's what we love that usually kills us. The good guys don't always win wars but the winners always make sure that they go down in history as the good guys. The Philippines is like a woman. You love her and hate her at the same time. I never believed in all my born days that ideas of truth and justice were only pretty words to brighten a much darker and more ubiquitous reality. The girl was experiencing the first flushes of love while Rick was at least feeling the methadone equivalent. Although selfishness and greed are more ephemeral than the real values of life their effects on the world often outlive their origins. Miriam's a meteor job. Somewhere out there in space there must be a meteor with her name on it. Tsismis or rumours grow in this land like tropical weeds. Surprises are so common here that nothing is surprising. A crooked leader who can lead is better than a crooked one who can't. Although I always followed the politics of Hitler I emulate the drinking habits of Churchill. It [Australia] is the country that does the least with the most. Rereading the brief lines that told the story in the manner of Fox News reporting the death of a leftist Rick's dark imagination took hold. Didn't your mother ever tell you never to trust a man who doesn't drink? She must have been around twenty years old, was tall for a Filipina and possessed long black hair framing her smooth olive face. This specter of loveliness walked with the assurance of the knowingly beautiful. Her crisp and starched white uniform dazzled in the late-afternoon light and highlighted the natural tan of her skin. Everything about her was in perfect order. In short, she was dressed up like a pox doctor’s clerk. Suddenly, she stopped, turned her head to one side and spat comprehensively into the street. The tiny putrescent puddle contrasted strongly with the studied aplomb of its all-too-recent owner, suggesting all manner of disease and decay.

I’ve fought in three campaigns,” he began. “In seven pitched battles. In countless raids and skirmishes and desperate defences, and bloody actions of every kind. I’ve fought in the driving snow, the blasting wind, the middle of the night. I’ve been fighting all my life, one enemy or another, one friend or another. I’ve known little else. I’ve seen men killed for a word, for a look, for nothing at all. A woman tried to stab me once for killing her husband, and I threw her down a well. And that’s far from the worst of it. Life used to be cheap as dirt to me. Cheaper. “I’ve fought ten single combats and I won them all, but I fought on the wrong side and for all the wrong reasons. I’ve been ruthless, and brutal, and a coward. I’ve stabbed men in the back, burned them, drowned them, crushed them with rocks, killed them asleep, unarmed, or running away. I’ve run away myself more than once. I’ve pissed myself with fear. I’ve begged for my life. I’ve been wounded, often, and badly, and screamed and cried like a baby whose mother took her tit away. I’ve no doubt the world would be a better place if I’d been killed years ago, but I haven’t been, and I don’t know why.” He looked down at his hands, pink and clean on the stone. “There are few men with more blood on their hands than me. None, that I know of. The Bloody-Nine they call me, my enemies, and there’s a lot of ’em. Always more enemies, and fewer friends. Blood gets you nothing but more blood. It follows me now, always, like my shadow, and like my shadow I can never be free of it. I should never be free of it. I’ve earned it. I’ve deserved it. I’ve sought it out. Such is my punishment.

My phone buzzes. It’s from Karou: a list of conversation openers that I won’t be needing. —a) Hi. I’m Zuzana. I’m actually a marionette brought to life by the Blue Fairy, and the only way I can gain a soul is if a human falls in love with me. Help a puppet out? —b) Hi. I’m Zuzana. The touch of my lips imparts immortality. Just sayin’. —c) Hi. I’m Zuzana. I think I might like you.

Perhaps,' Taran said quietly, watching the moon-white riverbank slip past them, 'perhaps you have the truth of it. At first I felt as you did. Then I remember thinking of Eilonwy, only of her; and the bauble showed its light. Prince Rhun was ready to lay down his life; his thoughts were for our safety, not at all for his own. And because he offered the greatest sacrifice, the bauble glowed brightest for him. Can that be its secret? To think more for others than ourselves?' That would seem to be one of its secrets, at least,' replied Fflewddur. 'Once you've discovered that, you've discovered a great secret indeed--with or without the bauble.

Just Let them. If they want to choose something or someone over you, LET THEM. If they want to go weeks without talking to you, LET THEM. If they are okay with never seeing you, LET THEM. If they are okay with always putting themselves first, LET THEM. If they are showing you who they are and not what you perceived them to be, LET THEM. If they want to follow the crowd, LET THEM. If they want to judge or misunderstand you, LET THEM. If they act like they can live without you, LET THEM. If they want to walk out of your life and leave, hold the door open, AND LET THEM. Let them lose you. You were never theirs, because you were always your own. So let them.

I began life with a quenching of the light of day, and, from the first moment that I realized myself, realized also that I was on the wane.

At a party given by a billionaire on Shelter Island, Kurt Vonnegut informs his pal, Joseph Heller, that their host, a hedge fund manager, had made more money in a single day than Heller had earned from his wildly popular novel Catch-22 over its whole history. Heller responds, “Yes, but I have something he will never have … enough.” Enough. I was stunned by the simple eloquence of that word—stunned for two reasons: first, because I have been given so much in my own life and, second, because Joseph Heller couldn’t have been more accurate. For a critical element of our society, including many of the wealthiest and most powerful among us, there seems to be no limit today on what enough entails.

Hey. Just to make sure I beat everyone to it, I wanted to write in this first. I hope that’s some more proof of how much I’m in love with you. I still can’t believe it. How did three years go by so fast? It feels like yesterday I was sitting on the bus behind you trying to build the courage to say something. It’s crazy to think there was a time before we knew each other. A time before “Sam and Julie.” Or “Julie and Sam”? I’ll let you decide that one. I know you can’t wait to leave this place, but I’m gonna miss it. I get it, though. Your ideas were always too big for a small town, and everyone here knows it. But I’m happy your path somehow made you stop in Ellensburg along the way. So you and I could meet each other. Maybe it was supposed to happen, you know? I feel like my life didn’t start until I met you, Julie. You’re the best thing to happen to this small town. To me. I realize it doesn’t matter where we’re going next, as long as we’re together. I’ll be honest. I used to be scared of leaving home. Now I can’t wait to move on and make new memories with you. Just don’t forget the ones we made here. Especially when you make it big. And whatever happens, promise you won’t forget me, okay? Anyway, I love you, Julie, and always will. Yours forever, Sam

But waiting until it’s your End Day to start living means you won’t have time to do it all. Your life will be divided into firsts and lasts and nevers.

To the people who gave me one-star reviews because the first book “had lesbians.” I doubled the lesbians in this one. Just for you.

People who think deeply feel themselves to be comedians in their relationship with others because they first have to simulate a surface in order to be understood.

The Geys were determined to grow the first immortal human cells: a continuously dividing line of cells all descended from one original sample, cells that would constantly replenish themselves and never die.

Once upon a time, there was a bird. He was adorned with two perfect wings and with glossy, colorful, marvelous feathers. One day, a woman saw this bird and fell in love with him. She invited the bird to fly with her, and the two travelled across the sky in perfect harmony. She admired and venerated and celebrated that bird. But then she thought: He might want to visit far-off mountains! And she was afraid, afraid that she would never feel the same way about any other bird. And she thought: “I’m going to set a trap. The next time the bird appears, he will never leave again.” The bird, who was also in love, returned the following day, fell into the trap and was put in a cage. She looked at the bird every day. There he was, the object of her passion, and she showed him to her friends, who said: “Now you have everything you could possibly want.” However, a strange transformation began to take place: now that she had the bird and no longer needed to woo him, she began to lose interest. The bird, unable to fly and express the true meaning of his life, began to waste away and his feathers to lose their gloss; he grew ugly; and the woman no longer paid him any attention, except by feeding him and cleaning out his cage. One day, the bird died. The woman felt terribly sad and spent all her time thinking about him. But she did not remember the cage, she thought only of the day when she had seen him for the first time, flying contentedly amongst the clouds. If she had looked more deeply into herself, she would have realized that what had thrilled her about the bird was his freedom, the energy of his wings in motion, not his physical body. Without the bird, her life too lost all meaning, and Death came knocking at her door. “Why have you come?” she asked Death. “So that you can fly once more with him across the sky,” Death replied. “If you had allowed him to come and go, you would have loved and admired him ever more; alas, you now need me in order to find him again.

The first and last weakness of his life, before him again. For a moment he felt himself blinded by his own memories; his own remembrances of the wits and wiles of Marian Halcombe that would steal into his thoughts; the sound of her laughter at his outrageous tales, the shadowed glance of distrust, the way her eyebrows would raise ever so slightly despite her resolution to seem disinterested in his foreign insights. She was the first woman he ventured to have complete equality in matching his tremendous cleverness.

He would have liked to continue talking about his mother. He did not suppose, from what he could remember of her, that she had been an unusual woman, still less an intelligent one; and yet she had possessed a kind of nobility, a kind of purity, simply because the standards that she obeyed were private ones. Her feelings were her own, and could not be altered from outside. It would not have occurred to her that an action which is ineffectual thereby becomes meaningless. If you loved someone, you loved him, and when you had nothing else to give, you still gave him love. When the last of the chocolate was gone, his mother had clasped the child in her arms. It was no use, it changed nothing, it did not produce more chocolate, it did not avert the child’s death or her own; but it seemed natural to her to do it. The refugee woman in the boat had also covered the little boy with her arm, which was no more use against the bullets than a sheet of paper. The terrible thing that the Party had done was to persuade you that mere impulses, mere feelings, were of no account, while at the same time robbing you of all power over the material world. When once you were in the grip of the Party, what you felt or did not feel, what you did or refrained from doing, made literally no difference. Whatever happened you vanished, and neither you nor your actions were ever heard of again. You were lifted clean out of the stream of history. And yet to the people of only two generations ago this would not have seemed all-important, because they were not attempting to alter history. They were governed by private loyalties which they did not question. What mattered were individual relationships, and a completely helpless gesture, an embrace, a tear, a word spoken to a dying man, could have value in itself. The proles, it suddenly occurred to him, had remained in this condition. They were not loyal to a party or a country or an idea, they were loyal to one another. For the first time in his life he did not despise the proles or think of them merely as an inert force which would one day spring to life and regenerate the world. The proles had stayed human. They had not become hardened inside. They had held on to the primitive emotions which he himself had to re-learn by conscious effort.

And when the work is going well, why on earth would we want to know? Most of the myriad of steps that go into making a piece (or a year’s worth of pieces) go on below the level of conscious thought, engaging unarticulated beliefs and assumptions about what artmaking is...We rarely think about how or why we do such things — we just do them. Changing the pattern of outcome in your work means first identifying things about your approach that are as automatic as wedging the clay, as subtle as releasing the arrow from the bow. ...We use predictable work habits to get us into the studio and into our materials; we use recurrent bits of form as starting points for making specific pieces. ....The discovery of useful forms is precious. Once found, they should never be abandoned for trivial reasons...any device that carries the first brushstroke to the next blank canvas has tangible, practical value. ....The private details of artmaking are utterly uninteresting to audiences (and frequently to teachers), perhaps because they’re almost never visible — or even knowable — from examining the finished work. ....The hardest part of artmaking is living your life in such a way that your work gets done, over and over — and that means, among other things, finding a host of practices that are just plain useful. A piece of art is the surface expression of a life lived within productive patterns. Over time, the life of a productive artist becomes filled with useful conventions and practical methods, so that a string of finished pieces continues to appear at the surface. And in truly happy moments those artistic gestures move beyond simple procedure, and acquire an inherent aesthetic all their own. They are your artistic hearth and home, the working-places-to-be that link form and feeling. They become — like the dark colors and asymmetrical lilt of the Mazurka — inseparable from the life of their maker. They are canons. They allow confidence and concentration. They allow not knowing. They allow the automatic and unarticulated to remain so.

Tarwater clenched his fists. He stood like one condemned waiting at the spot of execution. Then the revelation came, silent, implacable, direct as a bullet. He did not look in the eyes of any fiery beast or see a burning bush. He only knew, with a certainty sunk in despair, that he was expected to baptize that child he saw and begin the life his great-uncle prepared for him. He knew that he was called to be a prophet and that the ways of his prophecy would not be remarkable. His black pupils, glassy and still, reflected depth on depth his own stricken image of himself, trudging into the distance in the bleeding stinking mad shadow of Jesus, until at last he received his reward, a broken fish, a multiplied loaf. The Lord out of dust had created him, had made him blood and nerve and mind, had made him to bleed and weep and think, and set him in a world of loss and fire to baptize one idiot child that he need not have created in the first place and to cry out a gospel just as foolish. He tried to shout, “NO!” but it was like trying to shout in his sleep. The sound was saturated in silence, lost.

I’m done being a weapon for other people. I’m not going to pretend I won’t keep fighting for Olympus, but I…don’t want it to be this way. Or the way I was. I want something else. I want you. All of you.” For the first time in my life, I want love. Not power. More, I can have it. With these three. Together.

When he saw the ocean for the first time, he said it terrified him. Made him dizzy and almost nauseated, and just truly, deeply afraid. That anything could be that big. That powerful. That natural and uncontrollable, something society couldn’t take credit for and

When he saw the ocean for the first time, he said it terrified him. Made him dizzy and almost nauseated, and just truly, deeply afraid. That anything could be that big. That powerful. That natural and uncontrollable, something society couldn’t take credit for and could never fully tame either.

Listen. I’m a celebrity. I’m very used to asymmetry, to meeting someone for the first time when I know nothing about them, but they … but I’m a huge part of their lives, I’m someone they’ve loved, and been shaped by, and, you know, if you pie-charted their brain, their life, I’m a huge slice of it, while they’re nowhere in mine.” 9A: “Yeah. I guess it would happen a lot.” Sniper: “But they’re not nowhere in mine, not really. Because I love that I’m loved. Even if I don’t know the specific person, still that unknown, that”—quick smile—“anonymous love, knowing it’s out there, that’s a huge part of my pie chart. A huge part of my me. So, people I’ve never met are extremely important to me, the ones who care about me the way you do. Who love me. And I think that’s perfectly natural, that everyone has relationships with people far away, who inspire, entertain, role models, and also the people we work so hard for: fans, viewers, the next generation, kids somewhere, posterity. I think those asymmetrical relationships are part of what it means to be human, part of the teamwork. Humanity is teamwork. And the asymmetry doesn’t for a second make those relationships any less valid, or less important, or less real.

And then our life unfolds. Picture by picture. Frame by frame. It tells a story. Me and him. Every year since I was nine. Every holiday. Every birthday. Every celebration. The good days and the bad ones. It tells our story and it’s sequential, starting from the beginning, from that very day when he told me our friendship was inevitable, to just a few weeks ago, when I fell asleep and he carried me up the stairs to my bed before going home. It’s there. All of it is there. It’s a love letter, though I didn’t know it when I made it. Anyone can see it’s a love letter. It’s so obvious. It’s so trite. It’s so awkward. It’s nothing. It can’t be anything. He can’t know. I don’t want him to know. I can’t let him know.

My entire life is a struggle to establish earth as home for every faith and fervor, there is no place for derangement disguised as divine chosenness.

I gathered up my notebooks and found among them the copy of Sylvia Plath’s Ariel that Robert bought me when we first met. I felt a fleeting pang in my heart for I knew that innocent phase of our life had passed.

Between 1785 and 1797 Martha delivered 106 women of their first babies. Of these infants, forty, or 38 percent, were conceived out of wedlock. (See Table II.)

Are you tired of navigating the maze of online payment systems? Imagine a world where your transactions are seamless, secure, and swift. ✅Contact ✅Whatsapp: ‪+1 (916) 5696040 ✅Telegram:@usasmmlite ✅Email: usasmmlite1@gmail.com ✅Skype : usasmmlite With a verified Skrill account, this dream can become your reality. Whether you're a frequent online shopper, a digital entrepreneur, or someone who enjoys the convenience of quick money transfers, having a verified Skrill account simplifies your financial life. But here's the catch: finding a trustworthy source to buy these accounts can be daunting. You'll discover why investing in a verified Skrill account is a smart move and how it can transform your digital transactions. Let's dive in and unravel the benefits waiting for you! Benefits Of Using Skrill Skrill makes online payments easy. Sending money is quick and safe. Low fees help save money. You can pay for things without worry. Skrill works worldwide, so you can use it in many countries. Security is strong, keeping your money safe. It is simple to use, even for beginners. You can add funds in many ways, like bank transfers or cards. Skrill is great for people who shop online. It is trusted by many users. Using Skrill means fast transactions. You can pay instantly. No waiting for long times. Skrill makes buying things online smooth. You can trust it for online shopping. Many stores accept Skrill payments. This makes it convenient for users. Skrill is a popular choice for digital money transfers. It offers a helpful customer service team. How Skrill Enhances Security Skrill makes online money safe. It uses special codes to protect your cash. These codes keep your details secret. No one can see them. Your money is safe from bad people. Skrill checks every transaction. It looks for anything wrong or strange. This helps keep your money secure. Skrill also needs strong passwords. These passwords are hard to guess. They keep your account safe. You can trust Skrill with your money. It keeps your financial details private. Skrill's security is strong. It makes sure your money is safe online. Why Verification Matters A verified Skrill account is very important. It helps keep your money safe. Verification adds security to your online transactions. It also ensures your identity is protected. Many people trust verified accounts more. They feel safer when sending or receiving money. Verification prevents fraud and other problems. It is easier to solve issues with a verified account. People often face fewer restrictions. This means more freedom to use your account. Verified accounts can also handle larger transactions. This is very useful for businesses or frequent users. Always choose verified for peace of mind. Steps To Verify Your Skrill Account First, log into your Skrill account. Look for the verification section. ✅Contact ✅Whatsapp: ‪+1 (916) 5696040 ✅Telegram:@usasmmlite ✅Email: usasmmlite1@gmail.com ✅Skype : usasmmlite

The prosecutorial double standard originated in a 1668 Massachusetts law that introduced the English practice of asking unwed mothers to name the father of their child during delivery. At first glance, questioning a woman in labor seems a form of harassment. In practice, it was a formality allowing the woman, her relatives, or in some cases the selectmen of her town to claim child support. The man she accused could not be convicted of fornication (confession or witnesses were needed for that), but unless there was overwhelming evidence to the contrary, he would be judged the “reputed father” of her child and required to pay for its support. The assumption was that a woman asked to testify at the height of travail would not lie.

We know that courts gradually abandoned the practice of fining married couples whose first child was born too soon,

Get Fully Verified Cash App Accounts - Safe & Hassle ... What sets usabestshopapart as the leading platform to buy verified Cash App accounts in 2025? Because of its relentless dedication to excellence, security, and customer satisfaction, usabestshopstands out as the best venue for acquiring verified Cash App accounts in 2025. Our first focus is on quality; hence, we make sure every account goes through a comprehensive verification procedure to provide our clients with completely working and safe Cash App profiles ready for use right now. Our platform serves both people and companies who need flawless access to verified accounts without delays or issues by combining reasonable prices with rapid and dependable delivery. Our committed customer support staff is also on call to help with any inquiries or issues, therefore offering a tailored experience that fosters confidence and trust. In the constantly changing digital payment scene of today, usabestshopis the reliable alternative for anybody wishing to purchase verified Cash App accounts securely and quickly thanks to an established track record of authenticity and expertise. ––➤

Get Fully Verified Cash App Accounts - Safe & Hassle ... What sets usabestshopapart as the leading platform to buy verified Cash App accounts in 2025? Because of its relentless dedication to excellence, security, and customer satisfaction, usabestshopstands out as the best venue for acquiring verified Cash App accounts in 2025. Our first focus is on quality; hence, we make sure every account goes through a comprehensive verification procedure to provide our clients with completely working and safe Cash App profiles ready for use right now. Our platform serves both people and companies who need flawless access to verified accounts without delays or issues by combining reasonable prices with rapid and dependable delivery. Our committed customer support staff is also on call to help with any inquiries or issues, therefore offering a tailored experience that fosters confidence and trust. In the constantly changing digital payment scene of today, usabestshopis the reliable alternative for anybody wishing to purchase verified Cash App accounts securely and quickly thanks to an established track record of authenticity and expertise. ✅WhatsApp:‪ +1 (839) 285-0027 ✅Email: usabestshoplive@gmail.com ✅Skype: usabestshoplive ✅Telegram: @usabestshoplive What is a verified Cash App account? Your Cash App account is verified once your name, birth date and sometimes Social Security number are confirmed. When you complete verification, you can increase your payouts and withdrawals, use a Cash Card and buy or sell Bitcoin or stocks. There is also additional trust and security in your transactions. All in all, here’s why verifying your Cash App account is important: it allows you to use the app both safe and easy. Why should you buy a verified Cash App account? Having your account verified in Cash App helps your transactions take less effort and be completed faster. With verification, you can increase the amount of money you can send and receive, have payments deposited directly to your account and order a Cash Card to pay with. Besides, app authorities trust users can purchase, sell and manage their Bitcoin, additionally removing money and purchasing stocks within the app. The system becomes safer to stop fraud and makes transactions more efficient. In addition, connecting your bank account gives you instant financial flexibility. By prioritizing support, verified customers become verified accounts and have their issues solved faster. A verified Cash App account helps you move toward financial freedom in both your personal and business life. Tap on a verified Cash App account and trade securely, unlimitedly and right away! ✅WhatsApp:‪ +1 (839) 285-0027 ✅Email: usabestshoplive@gmail.com ✅Skype: usabestshoplive ✅Telegram: @usabestshoplive What is the difference between BTC-Enabled and Normal verified Cash App accounts?

She really loved the first sip of champagne. The first sip always brought her back to life. To the park where they made their first toast as a married couple. To the warm and snowy balconies on New Year’s Eve. But the second and third sip were always so dry, they killed her again.

How To Verify Identity On Verified Cash App Accounts (The Ultimate Guide) What sets usabestshopapart as the leading platform to buy verified Cash App accounts in 2025? Because of its relentless dedication to excellence, security, and customer satisfaction, usabestshopstands out as the best venue for acquiring verified Cash App accounts in 2025. Our first focus is on quality; hence, we make sure every account goes through a comprehensive verification procedure to provide our clients with completely working and safe Cash App profiles ready for use right now. Our platform serves both people and companies who need flawless access to verified accounts without delays or issues by combining reasonable prices with rapid and dependable delivery. Our committed customer support staff is also on call to help with any inquiries or issues, therefore offering a tailored experience that fosters confidence and trust. In the constantly changing digital payment scene of today, usabestshopis the reliable alternative for anybody wishing to purchase verified Cash App accounts securely and quickly thanks to an established track record of authenticity and expertise. ✅WhatsApp:‪ +1 (839) 285-0027 ✅Email: usabestshoplive@gmail.com ✅Skype: usabestshoplive ✅Telegram: @usabestshoplive What is a verified Cash App account? Your Cash App account is verified once your name, birth date and sometimes Social Security number are confirmed. When you complete verification, you can increase your payouts and withdrawals, use a Cash Card and buy or sell Bitcoin or stocks. There is also additional trust and security in your transactions. All in all, here’s why verifying your Cash App account is important: it allows you to use the app both safe and easy. Why should you buy a verified Cash App account? Having your account verified in Cash App helps your transactions take less effort and be completed faster. With verification, you can increase the amount of money you can send and receive, have payments deposited directly to your account and order a Cash Card to pay with. Besides, app authorities trust users can purchase, sell and manage their Bitcoin, additionally removing money and purchasing stocks within the app. The system becomes safer to stop fraud and makes transactions more efficient. In addition, connecting your bank account gives you instant financial flexibility. By prioritizing support, verified customers become verified accounts and have their issues solved faster. A verified Cash App account helps you move toward financial freedom in both your personal and business life. Tap on a verified Cash App account and trade securely, unlimitedly and right away! ✅WhatsApp:‪ +1 (839) 285-0027 ✅Email: usabestshoplive@gmail.com ✅Skype: usabestshoplive ✅Telegram: @usabestshoplive What is the difference between BTC-Enabled and Normal verified Cash App accounts?

Buy

You don't give up on a dream all at once. First you pare it down some. Could be you dreamed a little too big, you think. Reached a little too far. You're older now, a grown-up, so you whittle a little more off that dream. Work it in around everything else. Give it some time here, some hope there, whatever you can spare. Then life throws you some curves, and you tell yourself it's just going to take a little longer, is all. A few more years, maybe. Time goes on, and the day comes when you realize that most of those big things you thought were going to happen in your life, all the places you were going to see and the things you were going to do, aren't going to happen at all...You've waited too long, squandered too much time...That rusty old dream has eluded you, and you're left with a life made mundane by the one thing that did not happen. That's how it was with me and singing...

Are you tired of navigating the maze of online payment systems? Imagine a world where your transactions are seamless, secure, and swift. ✅Contact ✅Whatsapp: ‪+1 (916) 5696040 ✅Telegram:@usasmmlite ✅Email: usasmmlite1@gmail.com ✅Skype : usasmmlite With a verified Skrill account, this dream can become your reality. Whether you're a frequent online shopper, a digital entrepreneur, or someone who enjoys the convenience of quick money transfers, having a verified Skrill account simplifies your financial life. But here's the catch: finding a trustworthy source to buy these accounts can be daunting. You'll discover why investing in a verified Skrill account is a smart move and how it can transform your digital transactions. Let's dive in and unravel the benefits waiting for you! Benefits Of Using Skrill Skrill makes online payments easy. Sending money is quick and safe. Low fees help save money. You can pay for things without worry. Skrill works worldwide, so you can use it in many countries. Security is strong, keeping your money safe. It is simple to use, even for beginners. You can add funds in many ways, like bank transfers or cards. Skrill is great for people who shop online. It is trusted by many users. Using Skrill means fast transactions. You can pay instantly. No waiting for long times. Skrill makes buying things online smooth. You can trust it for online shopping. Many stores accept Skrill payments. This makes it convenient for users. Skrill is a popular choice for digital money transfers. It offers a helpful customer service team. How Skrill Enhances Security Skrill makes online money safe. It uses special codes to protect your cash. These codes keep your details secret. No one can see them. Your money is safe from bad people. Skrill checks every transaction. It looks for anything wrong or strange. This helps keep your money secure. Skrill also needs strong passwords. These passwords are hard to guess. They keep your account safe. You can trust Skrill with your money. It keeps your financial details private. Skrill's security is strong. It makes sure your money is safe online. Why Verification Matters A verified Skrill account is very important. It helps keep your money safe. Verification adds security to your online transactions. It also ensures your identity is protected. Many people trust verified accounts more. They feel safer when sending or receiving money. Verification prevents fraud and other problems. It is easier to solve issues with a verified account. People often face fewer restrictions. This means more freedom to use your account. Verified accounts can also handle larger transactions. This is very useful for businesses or frequent users. Always choose verified for peace of mind. Steps To Verify Your Skrill Account First, log into your Skrill account. Look for the verification section. You will need to provide some personal information. This includes your full name and address. Upload a photo ID, like a passport or driver's license. Make sure the image is clear. Next, you need to verify your address. Use a utility bill or bank statement. The document should be recent. Lastly, confirm your payment methods. Link a credit card or bank account. This step helps secure your account. Features Of Verified Accounts ✅Contact ✅Whatsapp: ‪+1 (916) 5696040 ✅Telegram:@usasmmlite ✅Email: usasmmlite1@gmail.com ✅Skype : usasmmlite

The Best Platform to Buy Verified PayPal Accounts If you want to more information just contact now.

Call girls in Panaji @7607001385 ★Goa Panji Call Girls Welcome to you No. One Independent Call Girls service , where attractive, intelligent, and well-educated girls give men the best erotic experiences they desire. In Anjuna Beach, we are accessible for outcall service. See cute Anjuna Beach Call Girls up close. You'll get the greatest girls you've chosen, along with opportunities for more deep French kisses and other experiences that will ensure your complete fulfilment. Professional Call Girls and discreet high-class massage services are available in Anjuna Beach. The females in our Anjuna Beach Call Girl agency are carefully chosen and professionally trained. Make a reservation for any of our models from the Premium or TOP Call Girls categories right now to receive a level of professionalism from VIP Call Girls Anjuna Beach. We provide Expensive Call Girls in Anjuna Beach, who are the best option if you want to keep your sexual encounters private. We do offer Anjuna Beach's Massage Call Girls. Get 70% off your first booking for Call Girl in Anjuna Beach when you pay in full with cash and receive free home delivery. We are among Anjuna Beach's top providers of Call Girl services. Get the phone numbers and WhatsApp Call Girls Ponda good service Number of over independent Call Girls here to speak with them directly. This will not only save you time, but it will ensure that you encounter genuine Independent Call Girls in Anjuna Beach that want to offer you better companion Call Girl services. Call Girls In North Goa Goa 7607001385 Call Girls North Goa Area Door Step Delivery We Offering You 100% Genuine Completed Body And Mind Relaxation With Happy Ending Service Done By Most Attractive Charming Soft Spoken Bold Beautiful Full Cooperative Independent And Agency Escort Girls Available In All Star Hotel And Resorts Guest house Service In All Over Goa We Have Extremely Beautiful Broad Minded Cute Sexy & Hot Call Girls and Escorts, We Are Located in 3* 4* 5* Hotels in Goa. Safe & Secure High Class Services Affordable Rate 100% Satisfaction, Unlimited Enjoyment. Any Time for Model/Teens Escort in Goa High Class luxury and Premium Escorts Service. ★ CALL US High Class Luxury and Premium Escorts Service We Provide Well Educated, Royal Class Female, High-Class Escorts Agency Offering a Top High Class Escorts Service In the & Several Nearby All Places Of Goa Our Service Available IN All 3/4/5 STAR HOTEL, Out Call Service 24 hrs Hello sweetheart, Welcome to Panaji, the capital city of Goa. Which is also the hottest and most premium destination for adult fun. If you guys want to explore this beautiful city with hot and sexiest then now you are on the right way we are here to provide you with different and unique kinds of sexual fun. These types of escort pleasure you have never experienced in your life before. Our girls can understand every man has many kinds of alternative desires and adult wishes that they want to complete with their favorite escort. And this is our duty to give our clients 100% intimate satisfaction and love. We want to spread too much love and pleasure everywhere and they are ready to fulfill your all kinds of erotic dreams. So that's why we are bringing for you Goa's most demanding No.1 Goa Call Girl Service.Welcome to you No. One Independent Call Girls service , where attractive, intelligent, and well-educated girls give men the best erotic experiences they desire. In Anjuna Beach, we are accessible for outcall service. See cute Anjuna Beach Call Girls up close. You'll get the greatest girls you've chosen, along with opportunities for more deep French kisses and other experiences that will ensure your complete fulfilment. Professional Call Girls and discreet high-class massage services are available in Anjuna Beach. The females in our Anjuna Beach Call Girl agency are carefully chosen and professionally trained. Make a reservation for any of our models from the Premium or

dUbai Call@ GiRl.S +971523571440 Young Escort service In Business Bay >< ·xplore the finest Dubai call girls and elite Call Girls in Dubai. 24/7 bookings with real, verified night girls in Dubai for premium private experiences. At Dubai Call Girls we believe pleasure is a right, not a privilege. If you’re in search of companionship that goes beyond small talk and superficial charm, you’ve landed at the perfect place. We are proud to be among the most trusted names when it comes to escort services in Dubai, connecting you with the most elegant, sensual, and professional women in the city. Whether you’re visiting for business, on a solo trip, or a resident looking to spice up your evenings, our elite collection of Dubai call girls promises experiences that go beyond the ordinary. With total privacy, luxury, and unmatched sensuality, we bring your desires to life with class and discretion. Explore a New Dimension of Adult Entertainment in Dubai Dubai is known for its rich culture, food, and vibrant lifestyle—but there’s another side of the city that only a few truly experience. The night girls in Dubai featured on our platform are not just pretty faces. They’re confident, passionate, and ready to give you the emotional and physical connection you crave. We provide a safe space for you to connect with premium escorts in Dubai—ranging from university students and working professionals to mature housewives and independent models. Each companion is carefully selected to suit a wide range of preferences, ensuring that whatever your taste, we have someone perfect for you. Why Choose Dubai Call Girls In a market saturated with empty promises, fake profiles, and unreliable services, we stand tall as a genuine and professional platform. Here’s what makes us the preferred choice for thousands of satisfied clients: Authentic Profiles Only We don’t believe in catfishing or false advertisements. Every call girl in Dubai listed on our site is 100% real, and their photos are verified. What you see is what you get—no nasty surprises, no false hopes. Full Confidentiality Your privacy is our top priority. Whether it’s a short-term booking or a full-night engagement, all interactions remain strictly confidential. No personal information is ever shared or stored beyond necessity. Professional, Courteous Service Our customer support and booking agents treat every client with respect and professionalism. Whether you’re a first-timer or a regular, we’re here to make your experience smooth, enjoyable, and hassle-free. Wide Selection of Escorts From elegant college girls to passionate mature women, our portfolio of Dubai night girls includes something for every taste. Whether you desire a romantic dinner date, a sultry night in, or simply good company, you’ll find the perfect match here. Discover the Diversity of Our Escort Portfolio No two clients are the same, and neither are our girls. Our aim is to provide variety, class, and depth in our service offerings so that every experience is unforgettable. ✅ College Girls in Dubai” ― Dubai Call girls