Work a Little Longer… Then Follow May 28, 1961
From Thomas Carlyle we cite these lines on the loss of the most beloved companion of his life—the wife of whom he wrote in remembrance: “Strange how she made the desert blossom for herself and...
With One Step June 11, 1961
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” This ancient proverb applies to every side of life, to every decision, to our whole course of conduct and commitment: our choice...
We Spend Ourselves December 31, 1961
Any passing season is somewhat sobering, for in spending time we spend ourselves. It may be difficult at any particular point to see the direction in which we are moving. And often in uncertainty...
Truth Is Tough August 20, 1961
Pilate’s question to the Savior of mankind appears ever more important: “What is truth?” Much of the difficulty and disappointment of life comes because we either don’t know...
To Those Now Married or About To Be June 25, 1961
The poets have long written of love, in lines often quoted and in songs often sung—songs whose sentiment has given a lift and loveliness to life. But such sentiment does not long endure unless there...
To Have Health… April 16, 1961
In facing a fatal illness, one of Dostoevsky’s characters has some searching things to say about health: “Oh, now I don’t care, now I’ve no time to be angry, but . . . how I...
Tied With Red Tape… February 5, 1961
Let us turn a moment or two to what is called red tape⎯by which we mean, essentially, getting lost in procedures, procedures which may be altogether arbitrary, which may be quite apart from...
The Words of Christmas December 24, 1961
We have heard the sounds of Christmas; we have seen the sights of Christmas, and have felt the feelings of Christmas, and now for a moment may we mention the words of Christmas − words with which it...
The Truth of What We Do September 3, 1961
There is truth in writing, truth in speaking. There is also truth in working⎯truth in what we do. Honesty, truth, and integrity are inseparable. Though they are words of slightly different shading,...
The Time That Is Yet Thine… January 15, 1961
We are, all of us, a reflection of what we do with time, of what we want⎯or at least what we want enough to be willing to work for. This, said William Penn⎯”this is . . . said, that it might...
The Present Forever Faces the Future January 1, 1961
“The town clock is striking midnight. The cold of the night wind is urging its way in at the door and window-crevice; the fire has sunk almost to the third bar of the grate. Still my dream...
The Person-to-Person Equation January 22, 1961
Because human judgement is so variable, and because human problems are so complex, organized effort has to come somewhat within definable categories, within certain procedures. All this, in a...
The Pace… the Purpose… the Principles March 19, 1961
Two essentials for a good and effective life are flexibility and firmness⎯flexibility in some things and an adamant and absolute immovability in others. Frequently we hear it said that times have...
The Good, the True, the Beautiful September 10, 1961
We hear frequently the phrase “the good, the true, the beautiful.”1 “Truth and beauty are in this alike,” wrote George Berkeley, “that the strictest survey sets them...
The Curse of a Malignant Tongue April 30, 1961
“What is the cruel pleasure which carries sorrow and bitterness to the heart of your brother? . . . Whence comes it that your sarcasms are always pointed to . . . recalling his faults . . . ?...
The Courage to Start--and to Stop March 12, 1961
Three kinds of courage are required in all the shifting scenes⎯in all the trial and error, in all the learning and living of life: the courage to start, the courage to stop, and the courage to...
The Challenge of Aging… February 19, 1961
“Whatever poet, orator, or sage May say of it, old age is still old age. It is the waning, not the crescent moon; The dusk of evening, not the blaze of noon: It is no strength, but weakness;...
Some Attitudes and Opportunities of Age February 26, 1961
Among the most wasteful of all the wastes of the world is the waste of time, of thought, of human effort and energy, of talents and creative gifts and productive powers. The world needs more of most...
Read the Best Books First August 6, 1961
Of all the uses of time, some surely should be taken for reading⎯time for acquaintance with great thoughts, great minds, great men. But what we read is of incalculable consequence, for books vary in...
Reaction Time July 30, 1961
Frequently when we become aware of conditions that need correction, we wonder why the people who are responsible don’t correct them. In a home or a family, in a community or a commonwealth,...