More generally, people who lived in a period when maternal, infant and childhood mortality were still high would have been tougher than most of us can imagine. Marilynne Robinson More Quotes by Marilynne Robinson More Quotes From Marilynne Robinson Oddly enough, my favorite genre is not fiction. I'm attracted by primary sources that are relevant to historical questions of interest to me, by famous old books on philosophy or theology that I want to see with my own eyes, by essays on contemporary science, by the literatures of antiquity. Marilynne Robinson eye philosophy book This morning the world by moonlight seemed to be an immemorial acquaintance I had always meant to befriend. If there was ever a chance, it had passed. Strange to say, I feel a little that way about myself. Marilynne Robinson littles morning world ...if you ever wonder what you've done in your life, and everyone does wonder sooner or later, you have been God's grace to me, a miracle, something more than a miracle. Marilynne Robinson miracle grace doe Boughton says he has more ideas about heaven every day. He said, "Mainly I just think about the splendors of the world and multiply by two. I'd multiply by ten or twelve if I had the energy. Marilynne Robinson two ideas thinking It is one of the best traits of good people that they love where they pity. And this is truer of women than of men. Marilynne Robinson pity men people She closed one eye and looked at me and said, "I know there is a blessing in this somewhere." It is worth living long enough to outlast whatever sense of grievance you may acquire. Another reason why you must be careful of your health. Marilynne Robinson eye blessing long I have spent my life watching, not to see beyond the world, merely to see, great mystery, what is plainly before my eyes. I think the concept of transcendence is based on a misreading of creation. With all respect to heaven, the scene of the miracle is here, among us. The eternal as an idea is much less preposterous than time, and this very fact should seize our attention. Marilynne Robinson eye ideas thinking Any father…must finally give his child up to the wilderness and trust to the providence of God. It seems almost a cruelty for one generation to beget another when parents can secure so little for their children, so little safety, even in the best circumstances. Great faith is required to give the child up, trusting God to honor the parents’ love for him by assuring that there will indeed be angels in that wilderness. Marilynne Robinson angel father children Every single one of us is a little civilization built on the ruins of any number of preceding civilizations, but with our own variant notions of what is beautiful and what is acceptable - which, I haste to add, we generally do not satisfy and by which we struggle to live. Marilynne Robinson struggle beautiful civilization Salvation was universally considered to be much more becoming in women than in men. Marilynne Robinson becoming salvation men It is a good thing to know what it is to be poor, and a better thing if you can do it in company. Marilynne Robinson company poor good-things ...not deciding to act would be identical with deciding not to act. Marilynne Robinson identical would-be I listen to Bach a great deal. In general I like to listen to hymns and liturgical music. Marilynne Robinson hymns deals When something ought to be true then it proves to be a very powerful truth. Marilynne Robinson being-true prove powerful People talk about how wonderful the world seems to children, and that's true enough. But children think they will grow into it and understand it, and I know very well that I will not, and would not if I had a dozen lives. Marilynne Robinson children people thinking I've developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by far, than I learned anything useful from, except, of course, that some very tedious gentlemen have written books. Marilynne Robinson gentleman reading book A letter makes ordinary things seem important. Marilynne Robinson important letters ordinary pity and charity may be at root an attempt to propitiate the dark powers that have not touched us yet. Marilynne Robinson charity roots dark I wrote almost all of it in the deepest hope and conviction. Sifting my thoughts and choosing my words. Trying to say what was true. And I'll tell you frankly, that was wonderful. Marilynne Robinson sifting wonderful trying That's one good thing about the way life is, that no one can know you if you don't let them. Marilynne Robinson good-things life-is way
