“Then answer me this...how can you know the good without the understanding of evil? How can you know happiness without experiencing the misery, pleasure without the pain? These things are essential parts of life that need to be faced and endured.”
― quote from Afterlife
“was swept away by a man who had never really existed and the result of my mistake was the broken shell of who I was. My mind had deceived me.”
― quote from Afterlife
“He confessed himself to be a bit of a geek. He was studying computer engineering and loved to play World of Warcraft.”
― quote from Afterlife
“is, after all, the mother from where all mistakes are born!”
― quote from Afterlife
“because I couldn't go on a date with him and secretly I had been relieved. There was nowhere I would”
― quote from Afterlife
“Ever since the incident I hadn’t shown any skin on my arms. I just couldn’t bear the questions that would follow and pity was not what I needed. So I kept my scars concealed at all times, it was bad enough for my eyes to have to see them as a constant reminder.”
― quote from Afterlife
“Then, if that was to be taken away, you wouldn't be you, right? You would be someone else's idea of you...do you understand?” He asked as I must have looked confused. “Yeah I get it, so what you’re saying is that we would all be like puppets.” “Yes, something like that. You must understand that God gave life, but that is your gift to do with it how you choose to live it. He does not dictate how you do this, nor does he negate your decisions. You must realise that he is neutral when it comes to your free will, you are a product of your own choices and this sometimes, no matter how”
― quote from Afterlife
“but it had been the truth. I was the only one who didn't stand out. I played”
― quote from Afterlife
“energy going on, you must be happy.” Rue said as she came up behind”
― quote from Afterlife
“Then I discovered that being related is no guarantee of love!”
― Stieg Larsson, quote from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
“I believe there is a theory that men and women emerge finer and stronger after suffering, and that to advance in this or any world we must endure ordeal by fire.”
― Daphne du Maurier, quote from Rebecca
“If there was only one tree like that in the world, you would think it was beautiful. But because there are so many, you just can't see how beautiful it really is.”
― Betty Smith, quote from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
“Here's the thing, say Shug. The thing I believe. God is inside you and inside everybody else. You come into the world with God. But only them that search for it inside find it. And sometimes it just manifest itself even if you not looking, or don't know what you looking for. Trouble do it for most folks, I think. Sorrow, lord. Feeling like shit.
It? I ast.
Yeah, It. God ain't a he or a she, but a It.
But what do it look like? I ast.
Don't look like nothing, she say. It ain't a picture show. It ain't something you can look at apart from anything else, including yourself. I believe God is everything, say Shug. Everything that is or ever was or ever will be. And when you can feel that, and be happy to feel that, you've found It.
Shug a beautiful something, let me tell you. She frown a little, look out cross the yard, lean back in her chair, look like a big rose. She say, My first step from the old white man was trees. Then air. Then birds. Then other people. But one day when I was sitting quiet and feeling like a motherless child, which I was, it come to me: that feeling of being part of everything, not separate
at all. I knew that if I cut a tree, my arm would bleed. And I laughed and I cried and I run all around the house. I knew just what it was. In fact, when it happen, you can't miss it. It sort of like you know what, she say, grinning and rubbing high up on my thigh.
Shug! I say.
Oh, she say. God love all them feelings. That's some of the best stuff God did. And when you know God loves 'em you enjoys 'em a lot more. You can just relax, go with everything that's going, and praise God by liking what you like.
God don't think it dirty? I ast.
Naw, she say. God made it. Listen, God love everything you love? and a mess of stuff you don't. But more than anything else, God love admiration.
You saying God vain? I ast.
Naw, she say. Not vain, just wanting to share a good thing. I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it.
What it do when it pissed off? I ast.
Oh, it make something else. People think pleasing God is all God care about. But any fool living in the world can see it always trying to please us back.
Yeah? I say.
Yeah, she say. It always making little surprises and springing them on us when us least expect.
You mean it want to be loved, just like the bible say.
Yes, Celie, she say. Everything want to be loved. Us sing and dance, make faces and give flower bouquets, trying to be loved. You ever notice that trees do everything to git attention we do, except walk?
Well, us talk and talk bout God, but I'm still adrift. Trying to chase that old white man out of my head. I been so busy thinking bout him I never truly notice nothing God make. Not a blade of corn (how it do that?) not the color purple (where it come from?). Not the little wildflowers. Nothing. Now that my eyes opening, I feels like a fool. Next to any little scrub of a bush in my yard, Mr. ____s evil sort of shrink. But not altogether. Still, it is like Shug say, You have to git man off your eyeball, before you can see anything a'tall.
Man corrupt everything, say Shug. He on your box of grits, in your head, and all over the radio. He try to make you think he everywhere.
Soon as you think he everywhere, you think he God. But he ain't. Whenever you trying to pray, and man plop himself on the other end of it, tell him to git lost, say Shug. Conjure up flowers, wind,water, a big rock.
But this hard work, let me tell you. He been there so long, he don't want to budge. He threaten lightening, floods and earthquakes. Us fight. I hardly pray at all. Every time I conjure up a rock, I throw it.
Amen”
― Alice Walker, quote from The Color Purple
“What she needed was just one person, one wise and sympathetic grown-up who could help her.”
― Roald Dahl, quote from Matilda
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