What's the use of crying, and retching, and belching, all…
““What's the use of crying, and retching, and belching, all day long, like your lady downstairs? Life has its sad side, and we must take the rough with the smooth. Why, maids have died on their marriage eve, or, what's worse, bringing their first baby into the world, and the world's wagged on all the same. Life's sad enough, in all conscience, but there's nothing to be frightened about in it or to turn one's stomach. I was country-bred, and as my old granny used to say, "There's no clock like the sun and no calendar like the stars." And why? Because it gets one used to the look of Time. There's no bogey from over the hills that scares one like Time. But when one's been used all one's life to seeing him naked, as it were, instead of shut up in a clock, like he is in Lud, one learns that he is as quiet and peaceful as an old ox dragging the plough. And to watch Time teaches one to sing. They say the fruit from over the hills makes one sing. I've never tasted so much as a sherd of it, but for all that I can sing.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Life contains inevitable sorrow and hardship, but acceptance and perspective turn suffering into quiet resilience and even joy.
In simple terms: Suffering is part of life; accept it and find peace.
Key Takeaway
Embrace hardship, find calm, and let it inspire you.
Themes
acceptance
resilience
perspective
humor
nature
time
Mood
reflective
quiet
hopeful
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- grief
- daily chores
- parenthood
- aging
- creative work
Key Concepts
Stoicism
existentialism
folk wisdom
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you reframe pain into a source of calm?
- What daily practices help you stay present with time?
A Different Perspective
Life’s hardships can overwhelm without support or meaning.