There's a tree that grows in Brooklyn. Some people call it the Tree of Heaven. No matter where its seed falls, it makes a tree which struggles to reach the sky. Betty Smith More Quotes by Betty Smith More Quotes From Betty Smith Look at everything always as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time: Thus is your time on earth filled with glory. Betty Smith thanksgiving time inspirational Oh, magic hour, when a child first knows she can read printed words. Betty Smith printed-word reading children I came to a clear conclusion, and it is a universal one: To live, to struggle, to be in love with life--in love with all life holds, joyful or sorrowful--is fulfillment. The fullness of life is open to all of us. Betty Smith fullness-of-life love-life struggle Dear God," she prayed, "let me be something every minute of every hour of my life. Let me be gay; let me be sad. Let me be cold; let me be warm. Let me be hungry...have too much to eat. Let me be ragged or well dressed. Let me be sincere - be deceitful. Let me be truthful; let me be a liar. Let me be honorable and let me sin. Only let me be something every blessed minute. And when I sleep, let me dream all the time so that not one little piece of living is ever lost. Betty Smith prayer dream liars In teaching your child, do not forget that suffering is good too. It makes a person rich in character. Betty Smith teaching character children A person who pulls himself up from a low environment via the bootstrap route has two choices. Having risen above his environment, he can forget it; or, he can rise above it and never forget it and keep compassion and understanding in his heart for those he has left behind him in the cruel upclimb. Betty Smith compassion heart two Who wants to die? Everything struggles to live. Look at that tree growing up there out of that grating. It gets no sun, and water only when it rains. It's growing out of sour earth. And it's strong because its hard struggle to live is making it strong. My children will be strong that way. Betty Smith strength strong children It is a good thing to learn the truth one's self. To first believe with all your heart, and then not to believe, is good too. It fattens the emotions and makes them to stretch. Betty Smith disappointment teaching children People always think that happiness is a faraway thing … something complicated and hard to get. Yet, what little things can make it up. Betty Smith littles people thinking All my life I've been lonely. I've been lonely at crowded parties. I've been lonely in the middle of kissing a girl and I've been lonely at camp with hundreds of fellows around. But now I'm not lonely any more. Betty Smith party girl lonely I hate all those flirty-birty games that women make up. Life's too short. If you ever find a man you love, don't waste time hanging your head and simpering. Go right up to him and say, 'I love you. How about getting married? Betty Smith flirty hate love-you People always think that happiness is a faraway thing," thought Francie, "something complicated and hard to get. Yet, what little things can make it up; a place of shelter when it rains - a cup of strong hot coffee when you're blue; for a man, a cigarette for contentment; a book to read when you're alone - just to be with someone you love. Those things make happiness. Betty Smith coffee strong rain I want to live for something. I don't want to live to get charity food to give me enough strength to go back to get more charity food. Betty Smith charity want giving The world was hers for the reading. Betty Smith reading inspirational book If you love someone, you'd rather suffer the pain alone to spare them. Betty Smith if-you-love-someone pain suffering She had become accustomed to being lonely. She was used to walking alone and to being considered 'different.' She did not suffer too much. Betty Smith girl lonely suffering A lie was something you told because you were mean or a coward. A story was something you made up out of something that might have happened. Only you didn't tell it like it was, you told it like you thought it should have been. Betty Smith should-have mean lying Someday you'll remember what I said and you'll thank me for it." Francie wished adults would stop telling her that. Already the load of thanks in the future was weighing her down. She figured she'd have to spend the best years of her womanhood hunting up people to tell them that they were right and to thank them. Betty Smith hunting people years From that moment on, the world was hers for the reading. She would never be lonely again. Betty Smith lonely reading world As she read, at peace with the world and happy as only a little girl could be with a fine book and a little bowl of candy, and all alone in the house, the leaf shadows shifted and the afternoon passed. Betty Smith girl house book
