---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Start at once a bedside library and spend…"
description: "\"Start at once a bedside library and spend the last half hour of the day in communion with the saints of humanity.\" — William Osler"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adf/william-osler-2992_communion_start-at-once-a-bedside-library-and-spen_2904692.png"
---

#  Start at once a bedside library and spend the last half…

![“Start at once a bedside library and spend the last half hour of the day in communion with the saints of humanity.” quote by William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adf/william-osler-2992_communion_start-at-once-a-bedside-library-and-spen_2904692.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adf/william-osler-2992_communion_start-at-once-a-bedside-library-and-spen_2904692.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adf/william-osler-2992_communion_start-at-once-a-bedside-library-and-spen_2904692.png)

> “Start at once a bedside library and spend the last half hour of the day in communion with the saints of humanity.”

[William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Encourages daily reading of literature to connect with humanity’s collective wisdom and experience.

**In simple terms:** Read daily to connect with humanity.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate a bedside library for growth.

Themes

learning humanity literature reflection professionalism

Mood

educational thoughtful

Type

professional philosophical

When to use this quote

- clinical practice
- personal development
- teaching
- patient care

Key Concepts

medicine humanities

Questions to Reflect On

- What books enrich your practice?
- How does reading influence empathy?

A Different Perspective

Time constraints may limit reading habit.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bedside Library](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bedside-library-4149852/) [Communion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communion/) [Communion Saints](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communion-saints-2958404/) [Day Communion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day-communion-2828324/) [Half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half/) [Half hours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half-hours/) [Hours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hours/) [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Lasts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lasts/) [Library](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/library/) [Saint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saint/) [Saints Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saints-humanity-4149853/)

## Related quotes

> [“the dogma of the Communion of Saints. All the members of Christ's mystic body are organi cally connected with one another and enjoy spirit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-pohle/the-dogma-of-the-communion-of-saints-all-the-members-of-christ-s/)

[Joseph Pohle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-pohle/)

> [I ought to spend the best hours of the day in communion with God. It is my noblest and most fruitful employment, and is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-murray-m-cheyne/i-ought-to-spend-the-best-hours-of-the-day-in-communion-with-god-it/)

[Robert Murray M'Cheyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-murray-m-cheyne/)

> [“Since both the departed saints and we ourselves are in Christ, we share with them in the 'communion of saints.' They are still our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/since-both-the-departed-saints-and-we-ourselves-are-in-christ-we/)

[N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/)

> [“We must be constantly aware of our responsibility in the Communion of Saints, without giving our honored predecessors the final say or making them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-must-be-constantly-aware-of-our-responsibility-in-the-communion-of/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Visiting someone in a hospital recently, I watched an elderly couple. The man was in a wheelchair, the wife sitting next to him in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eda-leshan/visiting-someone-in-a-hospital-recently-i-watched-an-elderly-couple/)

[Eda LeShan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eda-leshan/)

> [I was on dialysis three times a week for four and a half hours each time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grizz-chapman/i-was-on-dialysis-three-times-a-week-for-four-and-a-half-hours-each/)

[Grizz Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grizz-chapman/)

> [The beauty of a really good movie is that it's a whole world, complete in an hour and a half or two hours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-spotnitz/the-beauty-of-a-really-good-movie-is-that-it-s-a-whole-world-complete/)

[Frank Spotnitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-spotnitz/)

> [As they used to say on Stingray, ‘Anything can happen in the next half hour’. I’ve always tried to live with that thought in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cooper-clarke/as-they-used-to-say-on-stingray-anything-can-happen-in-the-next-half/)

[John Cooper Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cooper-clarke/)

> [I used to, like, hit for a half hour and then go eat Cheetos the rest of the day, come out and drill forehands.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-roddick/i-used-to-like-hit-for-a-half-hour-and-then-go-eat-cheetos-the-rest/)

[Andy Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-roddick/)

> [Give me a 6 pack, half-hour of rest and lets go play them again - We can beat them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lambert/give-me-a-6-pack-half-hour-of-rest-and-lets-go-play-them-again-we-can/)

[Jack Lambert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lambert/)

> [I am grateful for what I call well-spent moments: Making a tuna fish sandwich with the works. Taking at least a half hour to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ban-breathnach/i-am-grateful-for-what-i-call-well-spent-moments-making-a-tuna-fish/)

[Sarah Ban Breathnach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ban-breathnach/)

> [Getting started as a volunteer anywhere can be a challenge to a lot of people. The biggest hurdle is that people think they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-joyner-kersee/getting-started-as-a-volunteer-anywhere-can-be-a-challenge-to-a-lot/)

[Jackie Joyner-Kersee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-joyner-kersee/)

> [To try something longer, I entered a half-hour radio drama contest with the national public broadcaster, CBC. To my surprise, I won. And that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-walton/to-try-something-longer-i-entered-a-half-hour-radio-drama-contest/)

[Karen Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-walton/)

> [I work out 3 and half hours a day. I get some of my best ideas while I'm working out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zayed-khan/i-work-out-3-and-half-hours-a-day-i-get-some-of-my-best-ideas-while-i/)

[Zayed Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zayed-khan/)

> [I spend a lot of time loathing the sentences that I put down on the page. Once I'm past that phase, it doesn't really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/i-spend-a-lot-of-time-loathing-the-sentences-that-i-put-down-on-the/)

[Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/)

## More by William Osler

> [As it can be maintained that all the great advances have come from men under forty, so the history of the world shows that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/as-it-can-be-maintained-that-all-the-great-advances-have-come-from/)

[William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/)

> [No man is really happy or safe without a hobby ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/no-man-is-really-happy-or-safe-without-a-hobby/)

[William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/)

> [But whatever you do, take neither yourselves nor your fellow-creatures too seriously. There is tragedy enough in our daily routine, but there is room…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/but-whatever-you-do-take-neither-yourselves-nor-your-fellow-creatures/)

[William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/)

> [Without egotism and full of feeling, laughter is the music of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/without-egotism-and-full-of-feeling-laughter-is-the-music-of-life/)

[William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/)

> [The librarian of today, and it will be true still more of the librarians of tomorrow, are not fiery dragons interposed between the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/the-librarian-of-today-and-it-will-be-true-still-more-of-the/)

[William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/)

> [The best preparation for tomorrow is to do today's work superbly well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/the-best-preparation-for-tomorrow-is-to-do-today-s-work-superbly-well/)

[William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/)

> [Throw away all ambition beyond that of doing the day's work well. The travelers on the road to success live in the present, heedless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/throw-away-all-ambition-beyond-that-of-doing-the-day-s-work-well-the/)

[William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/)

> [The very first step towards success in any occupation is to become interested in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/the-very-first-step-towards-success-in-any-occupation-is-to-become/)

[William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/)

> [The trained nurse has become one of the great blessings of humanity, taking a place beside the physician and the priest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/the-trained-nurse-has-become-one-of-the-great-blessings-of-humanity/)

[William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/)

> [He who studies medicine without books sails an uncharted sea, but he who studies medicine without patients does not go to sea at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/he-who-studies-medicine-without-books-sails-an-uncharted-sea-but-he/)

[William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/)

> [In seeking absolute truth we aim at the unattainable and must be content with broken portions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/in-seeking-absolute-truth-we-aim-at-the-unattainable-and-must-be/)

[William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/)

> [Shed, as you do your garments, your daily sins, whether of omission or commission, and you will wake a free man, with a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/shed-as-you-do-your-garments-your-daily-sins-whether-of-omission-or/)

[William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/)

> [He who knows syphilis knows medicine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/he-who-knows-syphilis-knows-medicine/)

[William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/)

> [Laughter is the music of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/laughter-is-the-music-of-life/)

[William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/)

> [Beware of people who call you 'Doc.' They rarely pay their bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/beware-of-people-who-call-you-doc-they-rarely-pay-their-bills/)

[William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/)

[Explore all 143 William Osler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/)

## More Communion quotes

> [To love is to be in communion with the other and to discover in that other the spark of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/to-love-is-to-be-in-communion-with-the-other-and-to-discover-in-that/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [Not simply the righteousness of our Saviour, not simply the beauty of His holiness or the graces of His character, are we to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adoniram-judson-gordon/not-simply-the-righteousness-of-our-saviour-not-simply-the-beauty-of/)

[Adoniram Judson Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adoniram-judson-gordon/)

> [“Is the Lord’s Supper only for Christians? Whenever I ask this question I immediately remember the character of those that partook of the Last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-witherington-iii/is-the-lord-s-supper-only-for-christians-whenever-i-ask-this-question/)

[Ben Witherington III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-witherington-iii/)

> [“Laymen are not allowed to carry around the blessed Host to throw at people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-wright-2/laymen-are-not-allowed-to-carry-around-the-blessed-host-to-throw-at/)

[John C Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-wright-2/)

> [The answer to any challenge you are having has nothing to do with God's willingness to help. It has to do with your acceptance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-beckwith/the-answer-to-any-challenge-you-are-having-has-nothing-to-do-with-god/)

[Michael Beckwith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-beckwith/)

> [We seem to have lost contact with the earlier, more profound functions of art, which have always had to do with personal and collective…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-london/we-seem-to-have-lost-contact-with-the-earlier-more-profound-functions/)

[Peter London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-london/)

> [The one thing that the Catholic Church desires, and that I seek as Bishop of Rome, “the Church which presides in charity”, is communion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/the-one-thing-that-the-catholic-church-desires-and-that-i-seek-as/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [It is not he who knows most, nor he who hears most, nor yet he who talks most, but he who exercises grace most,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-brooks/it-is-not-he-who-knows-most-nor-he-who-hears-most-nor-yet-he-who/)

[Thomas Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brooks/)

> [True, the fragile bodies of his fellows do not weigh down his plane; true, the fretful minds of weaker men are missing from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lindbergh/true-the-fragile-bodies-of-his-fellows-do-not-weigh-down-his-plane/)

[Charles Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lindbergh/)

> [There are believers who by God's grace, have climbed the mountains of full assurance and near communion, their place is with the eagle in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/there-are-believers-who-by-god-s-grace-have-climbed-the-mountains-of/)

[Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/)

> [I will tell you why we have these extraordinary minds and souls, Miss Whittaker," he continued, as though he had not heard her. "We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-will-tell-you-why-we-have-these-extraordinary-minds-and-souls-miss/)

[Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/)

> [“Communion gives us warmth. Singleness gives us light. At immeasurable distance stands one single star at the zenith. This star is the God and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-g-jung/communion-gives-us-warmth-singleness-gives-us-light-at-immeasurable/)

[C.G. Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-g-jung/)

> [...In this world I cannot see the Most High Son of God with my own eyes, except for His Most Holy Body and Blood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-of-assisi/in-this-world-i-cannot-see-the-most-high-son-of-god-with-my-own-eyes/)

[Francis of Assisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-of-assisi/)

> [Today is the most wonderful day of your life. This moment represents eternity. It is the moment when you return to love by deciding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-angel-ruiz/today-is-the-most-wonderful-day-of-your-life-this-moment-represents/)

[Miguel Angel Ruiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-angel-ruiz/)

> [“The flesh of Christ is like a rich and inexhaustible fountain that pours into us the life springing forth from the Godhead into itself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-horton/the-flesh-of-christ-is-like-a-rich-and-inexhaustible-fountain-that/)

[Michael S. Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-horton/)

[Browse all 695 Communion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communion/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Start at once a bedside library and spend the last half hour of the day in communion with the saints of humanity.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "William Osler"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/start-at-once-a-bedside-library-and-spend-the-last-half-hour-of-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Communion"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/start-at-once-a-bedside-library-and-spend-the-last-half-hour-of-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adf/william-osler-2992_communion_start-at-once-a-bedside-library-and-spen_2904692.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adf/william-osler-2992_communion_start-at-once-a-bedside-library-and-spen_2904692.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adf/william-osler-2992_communion_start-at-once-a-bedside-library-and-spen_2904692.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Start at once a bedside library and spend the last half hour of the day in communion with the saints of…” — William Osler",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "William Osler",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Start at once a bedside library...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/start-at-once-a-bedside-library-and-spend-the-last-half-hour-of-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/start-at-once-a-bedside-library-and-spend-the-last-half-hour-of-the/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
