Annes' Wisdom

I've finished reading the Little Women series by Louisa May Alcott and have now begun an adventure with Anne of Green Gables. Other than the movies, I have sadly never had the pleasure of Ms Montgomerys' extraordinary little character of Anne but already within the first few pages of her lovely story, I have been captured by Annes' heart, enraptured by the vivid detail and description of scenery and by this little girls desiring for a home.

I want to store away, in this holey memory of mine, such beautiful phrases as:

"Isn't it lovely? Don't you think it must be glad to be a rose? Wouldn't it be nice if roses could talk? I'm sure they could tell us such lovely things."

Who thinks of such things? Surely it hasn't been so long since I was a child that I don't remember such wonderful imaginings.

These roses are from our yard. I can't claim to have a garden really when I've just placed plants in the ground wherever I've seen fit. There is no border to define and none of it really makes any sense but the plants mustn't mind if they are willing to bloom like these roses, in the heart of winter.

Another small drop of wisdom from Anne I want to appreciate and remember, in application to myself, are these beautiful two but so important sentences;

"It's been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will. Of course, you must make it up firmly."

There is so much I want to take away from the great books I read, to store theses nuggets of insight away and be able to draw on the lesson in its time. To understand and hold the valuable messages they have to share when I need strength to go on as I know I should or require wisdom in helping our boys grow.

So much is to be gained from the company of great books. The sages tell us so, and they are wise for good reason ;)

'Books are the quietest and most constant of friends: they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.'
Charles W. Eliot

Will there be enough time to read them all....