--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Life is precious. Not because it is…" description: "\"Life is precious. Not because it is unchangeable, like a diamond, but because it is vulnerable, like a little bird. To love life means to love its vuln..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06b/henri-nouwen-600_asking_life-is-precious-not-because-it-is-uncha_2062268.png" --- # Life is precious. Not because it is unchangeable, like a… ![“Life is precious. Not because it is unchangeable, like a diamond, but because it is vulnerable, like a little bird. To love life means to love its vulnerability, asking for care, attention, guidance, and support. Life and death are connected by vulnerability. The newborn child and the dying elder…” quote by Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06b/henri-nouwen-600_asking_life-is-precious-not-because-it-is-uncha_2062268.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06b/henri-nouwen-600_asking_life-is-precious-not-because-it-is-uncha_2062268.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06b/henri-nouwen-600_asking_life-is-precious-not-because-it-is-uncha_2062268.png) > “Life is precious. Not because it is unchangeable, like a diamond, but because it is vulnerable, like a little bird. To love life means to love its vulnerability, asking for care, attention, guidance, and support. Life and death are connected by vulnerability. The newborn child and the dying elder both remind us of the preciousness of our lives. Let's not forget the preciousness and vulnerability of life during the times we are powerful, successful, and popular.” [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life’s value lies in its fragility; loving it means caring for its vulnerability and recognizing the link between birth, death, and dependence. **In simple terms:** Life is fragile; love it by caring for its vulnerability. Key Takeaway Protect and cherish life’s delicate moments. Themes vulnerability preciousness interdependence compassion Mood hopeful empathetic Type inspirational ethical When to use this quote - parenting - elder care - mental health support - community building Key Concepts human fragility ethical care existential appreciation Questions to Reflect On - What practices help you honor life’s fragility? - How can vulnerability become a source of strength? A Different Perspective The view may underplay resilience and agency in the face of vulnerability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bird/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diamond/) [Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elders/) [Guidance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guidance/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life and death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-and-death/) [Life is precious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-is-precious/) [Love & life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-life-2/) [Love Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-life/) [Newborn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/newborn/) [Newborn child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/newborn-child/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) [Vulnerability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vulnerability/) ## Related quotes > [They say 'life is precious'. To who? To you, when you're young and you've got a few dollars in your pocket. Tell that to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-stanhope/they-say-life-is-precious-to-who-to-you-when-you-re-young-and-you-ve/) [Doug Stanhope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-stanhope/) > [“This life's a long old road We shouldn't have to walk alone But if you find the right companion You won't feel so worn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/this-life-s-a-long-old-road-we-shouldn-t-have-to-walk-alone-but-if/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) > [Life is precarious, and life is precious. Don't presume you will have it tomorrow, and don't waste it today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/life-is-precarious-and-life-is-precious-don-t-presume-you-will-have/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [Life is precious, hug your family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lo-bosworth/life-is-precious-hug-your-family/) [Lo Bosworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lo-bosworth/) > [“Life is precious. Infinitely so. Perhaps it takes a machine intelligence to appreciate that." ~"Understanding Space & Time”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/life-is-precious-infinitely-so-perhaps-it-takes-a-machine/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [Life is a game, play it... Life is too precious, do not destroy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/life-is-a-game-play-it-life-is-too-precious-do-not-destroy-it/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [Every moment of your life is precious. You must make each passing moment stepping stone to move forward with a bang. Moments passed may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anil-sinha/every-moment-of-your-life-is-precious-you-must-make-each-passing/) [Anil Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anil-sinha/) > [Life is precious, do not waste it doing anything that your heart does not love, respect or agree with. Remember that the seed of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemmy-nola/life-is-precious-do-not-waste-it-doing-anything-that-your-heart-does/) [Kemmy Nola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemmy-nola/) > [Life is precious!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-precious/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sometimes we get caught up in our troubles and our problems and we let life slip away, but life is precious, all of life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yanni/sometimes-we-get-caught-up-in-our-troubles-and-our-problems-and-we/) [Yanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yanni/) > [Every human life is precious in God's sight and no effort should be spared in the attempt to promote throughout the world a genuine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/every-human-life-is-precious-in-god-s-sight-and-no-effort-should-be/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [“Life is precious and all too short. So I laugh, sing and dive into things heads first with the hope that I don't scrape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-l-parry/life-is-precious-and-all-too-short-so-i-laugh-sing-and-dive-into/) K.L. Parry > [Life is precious Life is a god sent gift and it is your duty to live it to the full. You might face several…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaile-stewart/life-is-precious-life-is-a-god-sent-gift-and-it-is-your-duty-to-live/) [Kaile Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaile-stewart/) > [Life is precious and there's not a lot of room for anger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-drescher/life-is-precious-and-there-s-not-a-lot-of-room-for-anger/) [Fran Drescher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-drescher/) > [“Life is precious, and in the grand song of the universe, life is short. There is much to be done.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-burgess/life-is-precious-and-in-the-grand-song-of-the-universe-life-is-short/) [Gloria Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-burgess/) ## More by Henri Nouwen > [We are not the healers, we are not the reconcilers, we are not the givers of life. We are sinful, broken, vulnerable people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/we-are-not-the-healers-we-are-not-the-reconcilers-we-are-not-the/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [The more we touch the intimate love of God which creates, sustains, and guides us, the more we recognize the multitude of fruits that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/the-more-we-touch-the-intimate-love-of-god-which-creates-sustains-and/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [Feelings of guilt dominate our work as peacemakers we cannot last long. But when we have opened each other's eyes to the great human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/feelings-of-guilt-dominate-our-work-as-peacemakers-we-cannot-last/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [...we all want to hear stories, from the moment we are born to the moment we die. 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Keep your heart on God's love. Keep focused on the fact that you are God's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/jesus-says-keep-your-heart-on-the-kingdom-first-keep-your-heart-on/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [This sounds very simple and maybe even trite, but very few people know that they are loved without condition or limits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/this-sounds-very-simple-and-maybe-even-trite-but-very-few-people-know/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [“The more preoccupied we are with security the more visible the force of death becomes, whether in the form of a pistol beside our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/the-more-preoccupied-we-are-with-security-the-more-visible-the-force/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [If you feel a great loneliness and a deep longing for human contact, you have to be extremely discerning...and ask yourself whether this situation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/if-you-feel-a-great-loneliness-and-a-deep-longing-for-human-contact/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [I choose L'Arche; L'Arche chooses me. I would be dead if I weren't here. I need people to love me and care for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/i-choose-l-arche-l-arche-chooses-me-i-would-be-dead-if-i-weren-t-here/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [The truth, even though I cannot feel it right now, is that I am the chosen child of God, precious in God's eyes, called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/the-truth-even-though-i-cannot-feel-it-right-now-is-that-i-am-the/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [In a world so torn apart by rivalry, anger, and hatred, we have the privileged vocation to be living signs of a love that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/in-a-world-so-torn-apart-by-rivalry-anger-and-hatred-we-have-the/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [Where true inner freedom is, there is God. And where God is, there we want to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/where-true-inner-freedom-is-there-is-god-and-where-god-is-there-we/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) [Explore all 452 Henri Nouwen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) ## More Asking quotes > [Why did Erich von Stronheim leave Germany? Why did Hitchcock leave England? If you were a director you'd like to work in Hollywood too.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-polanski/why-did-erich-von-stronheim-leave-germany-why-did-hitchcock-leave/) [Roman Polanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-polanski/) > [And in your new lives you'll have to live entirely for that one sensation-that of imminent truth. And you're going to have to holler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/and-in-your-new-lives-you-ll-have-to-live-entirely-for-that-one/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [“Stop asking yourself how or why and tell yourself you can." - Charmainism”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charmaine-smith-ladd/stop-asking-yourself-how-or-why-and-tell-yourself-you-can-charmainism/) [Charmaine Smith Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charmaine-smith-ladd/) > [Closing his eyes, he sent up a prayer to anyone who was listening, asking please, for God's sake, stop sending him signals that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/closing-his-eyes-he-sent-up-a-prayer-to-anyone-who-was-listening/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [People will identify with a persecuted minority without asking themselves what they are identifying with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/people-will-identify-with-a-persecuted-minority-without-asking/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [If you're having a bad day already and everybody is just asking you petty questions, it drives people to the edge, or something really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-weixler/if-you-re-having-a-bad-day-already-and-everybody-is-just-asking-you/) [Jess Weixler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-weixler/) > [You never give away your heart; you lend it from time to time. 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It's like asking: 'Can women breathe in and out?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-walters/there-were-people-asking-can-women-be-funny-people-still-ask-that-it/) [Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-walters/) > [Whether that's speaking up in your job or asking for a promotion or saying, 'I think I can do that.' 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