Children Quote by Gene Wolfe
““And it came to me that these trees had been hardly smaller when I was yet unborn, and had stood as they stood now when I was a child playing among the cypresses and peaceful tombs of our necropolis, and that they would stand yet, drinking in the light of the dying sun, even as now, when I had been dead as long as those who rested there. I saw how little it weighed on the scale of things whether I lived or died, though my life was precious to me. And of those two thoughts I forged a mood by which I stood ready to grasp each smallest chance to live, yet in which I cared not too much whether I saved myself or not. By that mood, as I think, I did live; it has been so good a friend to me that I have endeavored to wear it ever since, succeeding not always, but often.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Book of the New Sun, Gene Wolfe, 1980
Contemplates mortality and the insignificance of individual life, yet finds motivation in embracing each moment.
In simple terms: Life’s small moments matter despite mortality.
Key Takeaway
Embrace each chance to live fully.
Themes
mortality
mindfulness
resilience
Mood
thoughtful
hopeful
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- daily gratitude
- creative writing
- spiritual practice
- risk taking
Key Concepts
existentialism
literature
Questions to Reflect On
- What small chance will you seize today?
- How does acknowledging mortality shape your actions?
A Different Perspective
May romanticize acceptance without addressing grief.
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