Quotes for forgiveness
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“That is probably the hardest thing a person can learn, as I so often find in others (and in myself as well in the past) to forgive one’s own mistakes and lapses.”

Etty Hillesum (1914–1943) Jewish diarist

Learning, Past, Personality

“I thought of your hand-grenades, of your bayonet, of your rifle; now I see your wife and your face and our fellowship. Forgive me, comrade. We always see it too late. Why do they never tell us that you are poor devils like us, that your mothers are just as anxious as ours, and that we have the same fear of death, and the same dying and the same agony — Forgive me, comrade; how could you be my enemy?”

Erich Maria Remarque book All Quiet on the Western Front

Paul to the corpse of a French man he has just killed, Ch. 9
All Quiet on the Western Front (1929)

Death, Fear

“I have not become one who bears malice to any Muslims, nor one who wishes evil or misfortune for him. Indeed what you dislike about unity is better for you than what you like about division. I see what is better for you, better than you see for yourselves. Therefore do not oppose my commands and do not reject my judgement. May God forgive both me and you, and may He guide me and you to that in which there is love and satisfaction.”

Hasan ibn Ali (624–669) Shia Imam

Religious-based Quotes

Love, God, Making love, Evil

“Be praised, my Lord, through those who forgive for love of you; through those who endure sickness and trial. Happy those who endure in peace, for by you, Most High, they will be crowned.”

Francis of Assisi Canticle of the Sun

Canticle of the Sun

Love, Happiness, Making love, Peace

“Forgive me this digression — that I stand
Entranced awhile at Law's first beam, outbreak
O' the business, when the Count's good angel bade
"Put up thy sword, born enemy to the ear,
"And let Law listen to thy difference!"”

Robert Browning The Ring and the Book

And Law does listen and compose the strife,
Settle the suit, how wisely and how well!
On our Pompilia, faultless to a fault,
Law bends a brow maternally severe,
Implies the worth of perfect chastity,
By fancying the flaw she cannot find.
Book IX : Juris Doctor Johannes-Baptista Bottinius, Fisci et Rev. Cam. Apostol. Advocatus.
The Ring and the Book (1868-69)

Law, Angels, Business

“I advise you to fear Allah alone, with no partner of associate. I advise you to treat the first Muhâjireen well and acknowledge their seniority. I advise you to treat the Ansār well, and show approval of those among them who do well, and forgive those among them who make mistakes. I advise you to treat the people of the outlying regions well, for they are a shield against the enemy and conduits of fay; do not take anything from them except that which is surplus to their needs. I advise you to treat the people of the desert well, for they are the original Arabs and the protectors of Islam. Take from the surplus of their wealth and give it to their poor. I advise you to treat ahl adh-dhīmmah well, to defend them against their enemies and not burden them with more than they can bear if they fulfill their duties towards the believers or pay the Jizyāh with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. I advise you to fear Allah and fear His wrath, lest you do anything wrong. I advise you to fear Allah with regard to the people, but do not fear the people with regard to Allah. I advise you to treat the people justly, and to devote yourself to looking after them and protecting them against their enemies. Do not show any favour to the rich over the poor. That will be better for your spiritual well being and will help to reduce your burden of sin, and it will be better for your Hereafter, until you meet the One Who knows what is in your heart. I instruct you to be strict with regard to the commands of Allah, His sacred limits and disobedience with all people, both relatives and others. Do not show any mercy to anyone until you have settled the score with him according to his offence. Treat all people as equal, and do not worry about who is as fault or fear the blame of the blamers. Beware of showing favouritism among the believers with regard to the fay that Allah has put you in charge of, lest that lead to injustice. Keep away from that. You are in a position between this world and the Hereafter. If you conduct your affairs justly in this world and refrain from indulgence, that will earn you faith and divine pleasure. I advise you not to let yourself or anyone else do wrong to ahl al-dhimmah. I advise you sincerely to seek thereby the Countenance of Allah and the Hereafter. I have chosen advice for you that I would offer to myself or my son. If you do as I have advised you and follow my instructions, you will have gained a great deal. If you don not accept it or pay attention to it, and do not handle your affairs in the way that pleases Allah, that will be a shortcoming on your part and you will have failed to be sincere, because whims and desires are the same and the cause of sin is Iblīs, who calls man to everything that will lead to his doom. He misguided the generations who came before you and led them to Hell, what a terrible abode. What a bad deal it is for a man to take the enemy of Allah as his friend, who calls him to disobey Allah. Adhere to the truth, strive hard to reach it and admonish yourself. I urge you by Allah to show mercy to the Muslims, honour their elderly, show compassion to their young ones and respect the knowledgeable ones among them. Do not harm them or humiliate them, and do not keep the fay for yourself lest you anger them. Do not deprive them of their stipends when they become due, thus making them poor. Do not keep them away on campaigns for so long that they end up having no children. Do not allow wealth to circulate only among the rich. Do not close your door to the people or allow the strong to oppress the weak. This is my advice to you, as Allah is my witness, and I greet you with peace.”

Umar (585–644) Second Caliph of Rashidun Caliphate and a companion of Muhammad

Umar ibn al-Khattab, Vol. 2, p. 389-390, also quoted in At-Tabqaat ul-Kabir, Vol. 3, p. 339
Last Advise

Bad luck, Children, People, Pleasure

“I pray for the forgiveness of everyone at the end of every prayer. If you keep your faith in Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him), you will receive my prayers in your graves.”

Uwais al-Qarani (594–657) Muslim saint

Quoted in Owais Qarni and his love for Prophet, https://www.arabnews.com/node/930256/islam-perspective by Abu Tariq Hijazi, Arab News, (28 May 2016)

Peace, Faith

“Forgiveness is choosing to love. It is the first skill of self-giving love.”

Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948) pre-eminent leader of Indian nationalism during British-ruled India

Love

“Almost everyone can forgive us for honesty: and, say, not enough professional game, and even not enough professional verses. There are many examples of this. But when honesty disappears, they forgive nothing.”

Viktor Tsoi (1962–1990) Soviet rock musician (1962-1990)

As quoted in an interview with newspaper Arguments and Facts (1987), " 'Almost everyone can forgive us for honesty': the rules of life of Viktor Tsoi, who passed away 29 years ago" in Forum Daily https://www.forumdaily.com/en/nam-za-chestnost-mogut-prostit-prakticheski-vse-pravila-zhizni-viktora-coya-ushedshego-29-let-nazad/ (15 August 2019)

Game

“The day the devil asks for forgiveness is the day he ceases to be considered the wicked one. It's said that God loves to forgive.”

Mwanandeke Kindembo (1996) Congolese author

Love, God

“I forgive you.
I don't condone or say that what you did to me was alright…
it was not.
I will never forget.
But I forgive you
for the sake of myself…so I may truly be Free.
I love Me.
Although it shall never be the same…
I can find it in my heart to
love you too.”

Stephie Pahlavi Zan

Love, Heart, Forgetting

“I have learned that…
you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them.
No matter how much I care, some people just don't care back.
It takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.
It's not what you have in your life, but who you have in your life that counts.
You can do something in an instant that will give you a heartache for life.
No matter how thin you slice it, there are always two sides.
You should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
We are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.
There are people who love you dearly, but just don't know how to show it.
True friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. The same goes for true love.
Just because someone doesnt love you the way you want them to, doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.
Maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.
No matter how good a friend someone is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.
No matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.
Just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.
We don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.
You shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.
There are so many ways of falling and staying in love.
No matter how many friends you have, if you are their pillar, you will feel lonely and lost at the times you need them most.
The people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon.
Although the word "love" can have many different meanings, it loses value when overly used.
Love is not for me to keep, but to pass on to the next person I see.
There are people who love you dearly but just don't know how to show it.
Every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch-holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.
I still have a lot to learn……”

Stephie Pahlavi Zan

Love, Life, Friendship, People

“Therefore, dark past,
I’m about to do it.
I’m about to forgive you

for everything.”

Mary Oliver (1935–2019) American writer

Past

“Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.”

Lily Tomlin (1939) American actress, comedian, writer, and producer

Hope, Past

“A place like this wears down everything, and tolerance is no exception. In here, coexistence passes for forgiveness. You do not learn to like something you abhor; you come to live with it… You live and let live, and eventually that becomes enough.”

Jodi Picoult Change of Heart

Source: Change of Heart

Learning

“Forgiving doesn't make the person who hurt you feel better, it makes you feel better.”

Chetan Bhagat book 2 States: The Story of My Marriage

Source: 2 States: The Story of My Marriage

Feeling, Hurt, Personality

“Not forgiving someone is like not pulling a thorn out of your foot just because you weren't the one to put it there.”

Mercedes Lackey book The Wizard of London

Source: The Wizard of London

“It's easier to ask forgiveness than to beg for permission.”

Lora Leigh (1965) American writer

Source: Lion's Heat

“Forgiveness is giving up all hope of having had a better past.”

Anne Lamott (1954) Novelist, essayist, memoirist, activist

Variant: Who was it who said that forgiveness is giving up all hope of having had a different past?
Source: Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith

Hope, Past

“It isn't easy, it doesn't count if it's easy, it's the hardest thing. Forgiveness. Which is maybe where love and justice finally meet.”

Tony Kushner (1956) American playwright and screenwriter

Source: Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches

Love, Justice

“Mothers can forgive anything! Tell me all, and be sure that I will never let you go, though the whole world should turn from you.”

Louisa May Alcott book Jo's Boys

Source: Jo's Boys

World, Mother's Day, For Mother

“The trouble with forgiveness is that some people don't want to be forgiven.”

Graham Joyce (1954–2014) British writer

Source: How to Make Friends with Demons

People

“I guess forgiveness, like happiness, isn’t a final destination. You don’t one day get there and get to stay.”

Deb Caletti (1963) American writer

Happiness

“There is only one sin god will not forgive Boss, and that is to deny a woman who is in wanting ~ Zorba”

Nikos Kazantzakis book Zorba the Greek

Source: Zorba the Greek

God

“To forgive is wisdom, to forget is genius. And easier. Because it's true. It's a new world every heart beat.”

Joyce Cary book The Horse's Mouth

Source: The Horse's Mouth

Wisdom, World, Heart, Forgetting

“There comes a moment in history when ignorance is no longer a forgivable offense… a moment when only wisdom has the power to absolve. - Bertrand Zobrist”

Dan Brown book Inferno

Source: Inferno

Wisdom, History

“There are some things that are so unforgivable that they make other things easily forgivable.”

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie book Half of a Yellow Sun

Source: Half of a Yellow Sun

“Forgiveness is a mystical act, not a reasonable one.”

Caroline Myss (1952) author from the United States

Source: Defy Gravity: Healing Beyond the Bounds of Reason

“Life is short. Kiss slowly, laugh insanely, love truly and forgive quickly”

Paulo Coelho (1947) Brazilian lyricist and novelist

https://www.facebook.com/11777366210/posts/10159064721041211/?

Love, Life, Kiss, Heart Touching

“One day I will forgive you; until then there are scabs everywhere that you have touched me.”

Salvador Plascencia The People of Paper

Source: The People of Paper

“Beauty is merciless. You do not look at it, it looks at you and does not forgive.”

Nikos Kazantzakis book Report to Greco

Report to Greco (1965)

Beauty

“Forgive me," he went on. "For a long time I have had the peculiar habit of not arriving but appearing.”

Milan Kundera (1929–2023) Czech author of Czech and French literature

Source: Farewell Waltz

Appearance, Time

“Can you ever forgive me?
I already have.
How could you? I don't deserve it.
That's what makes it love.”

Richard Paul Evans (1962) American writer

Source: The Christmas List

Love

“Forgiveness means it finally becomes unimportant that you hit back. You're done. It doesn't necessarily mean that you want to have lunch with the person. If you keep hitting back, you stay trapped in the nightmare…”

Anne Lamott (1954) Novelist, essayist, memoirist, activist

Source: Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith

Personality

“The lamb misused breeds public strife
And yet forgives the butcher's knife.”

William Blake (1757–1827) English Romantic poet and artist

“In the photograph by my bed my mother is perpetually smiling on me. I guess I have forgiven us both, although sometimes in the night my dreams will take me back to the sadness, and I have to wake up and forgive us again.”

Sue Monk Kidd book The Secret Life of Bees

Source: The Secret Life of Bees

Sadness, Smile, Dreams, Night

“I don't like this," he said. I don't like knowing you can't forgive me, Claire. Please, I said I was sorry, what do you want me to do? Beg? I will. I'll get on my knees right here if you want.”

Rachel Caine (1962) American writer

Source: Fall of Night

“And at that moment Jude thought something that he would never forgive himself for.
He wished that he had never met any of them.”

Melina Marchetta book On the Jellicoe Road

Source: On the Jellicoe Road

“The ragamuffin gospel reveals that Jesus forgives sins, including the sins of the flesh; that He is comfortable with sinners who remember how to show compassion; but that He cannot and will not have a relationship with pretenders in the Spirit.”

Brennan Manning (1934–2013) writer, American Roman Catholic priest and United States Marine

Source: The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out

“Only someone who can say 'I love you' is capable of saying 'I forgive you.”

Paulo Coelho book Aleph

Source: Aleph

Love

“I think that maybe forgiveness is like change - it comes in small steps. (256)”

Mary E. Pearson book The Adoration of Jenna Fox

Source: The Adoration of Jenna Fox

Thinking, Change

“It's not an easy journey, to get to a place where you forgive people. But it is such a powerful place, because it frees you.”

Tyler Perry (1966) American actor, director, screenwriter, playwright, producer, author, and songwriter

People, Powerful

“What's wrong with my proposition?" Poirot rose. "If you will forgive me for being personal-I do not like your face, M. Ratchett.”

Agatha Christie book Murder on the Orient Express

Source: Murder on the Orient Express

Personality

“… when people we love make choices, we don't always understand them. But we can go on loving them, just the same. It isn't a matter of comprehension. It's forgiveness.”

Jodi Picoult (1966) Author

Source: Vanishing Acts

Love, People, Understanding

“Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.”

Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–1968) American clergyman, activist, and leader in the American Civil Rights Movement

Attitude

“Sienna shrugged, apparently unconcerned by what the warrior had said. "You'll have to forgive me for now noticing you back then. Next to him, you're kind of homely."
William chocked on his own tongue.”

Gena Showalter (1975) American writer

Source: The Darkest Seduction

Home

“Be the one who nurtures and builds. Be the one who has an understanding and a forgiving heart one who looks for the best in people. Leave people better than you found them.”

Marvin J. Ashton (1915–1994) Apostle of the LDS Church

People, Understanding, Heart

“Aline: "He's cute, for a Downworlder"
Sebastian: "You'll have to forgive her; she has the face of an angel and the manners of a Moloch demon”

Cassandra Clare book City of Glass

Source: City of Glass

Angels

“Marriage, each of them realized intuitively, was about compromise and forgiveness. It was about balance, where one person complemented the other.”

Nicholas Sparks book The Choice

Travis Parker, Chapter 16, p. 203
Variant: Relationship is about forgiveness and compromise. It is about balance where one person complements each other.
Source: 2000s, The Choice (2007)

Marriage, Personality

“I'll tell you this —
No eternal reward will forgive us now for wasting the dawn.”

Jim Morrison (1943–1971) lead singer of The Doors

"The Wasp (Texas Radio And The Big Beat)" on the albums L. A. Woman (1971) and An American Prayer (1978)
Variant: No heavenly power will forgive us now for wasting the dawn.

“One should forgive one's enemies, but not before they are hanged.”

Heinrich Heine (1797–1856) German poet, journalist, essayist, and literary critic

Statement of 1848, as quoted in The Cynic's Lexicon : A Dictionary of Amoral Advice (1984) by Jonathon Green, p. 91
One must forgive one's enemies, but not before they are hanged.
As quoted in A Mania for Sentences (1985) by Dennis Joseph Enright, p. 10
Variant: We should forgive our enemies, but not before they are hanged

“every time God forgives us, God is saying that God's own rules do not matter as much as the relationship that God wants to create with us.”

Richard Rohr (1943) American spiritual writer, speaker, teacher, Catholic Franciscan priest

Source: Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life

God, Time

“Forgiving men is so much easier than forgiving women.”

Margaret Atwood (1939) Canadian writer

Source: CAT'S EYE.

Women, Men

“Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could have been any different, it's accepting the past for what it was, and using this moment and this time to help yourself move forward.”

Oprah Winfrey (1954) American businesswoman, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist

Hope, Time, Past, Help

“Forgive me, that I manage badly,
Manage badly but live gloriously,
That I leave traces of myself in my songs,
That I appeared to you in waking dreams.”

Anna Akhmatova (1889–1966) Russian modernist poet

Source: The Complete Poems of Anna Akhmatova

Dreams, Appearance

“But grief makes a monster out of us sometimes… and sometimes you say and do things to the people you love that you can't forgive yourself for.”

Melina Marchetta book On the Jellicoe Road

Source: On the Jellicoe Road

Love, People

“To forgive or not to forgive… are those my only choices?”

Natsuki Takaya (1973) Manga artist

“Forgiveness must be immediate, whether or not a person asks for it. Trust must be rebuilt over time. Trust requires a track record.”

Rick Warren (1954) Christian religious leader

Source: The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here for?

Time, Personality

“For I hope my Friends will pardon me, when I declare, I know none of them without a Fault; and I should be sorry if I could imagine, I had any Friend who could not see mine. Forgiveness, of this Kind, we give and demand in Turn.”

Henry Fielding book The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling

Source: The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling

Hope, Imagination

“… hate suits him better than forgiveness. Immersed in hate, he doesn't have to do anything; he can be paralyzed, and the rigidty of hatred makes a kind of shelter for him.”

John Updike book Rabbit, Run

Source: Rabbit, Run

Hate

“Never forget a Favor, Never forgive a Slight!”

Lee Child (1954) British thriller writer

Forgetting

“Buried beneath disappointment and fear, anger and pride, I just might find it in my heart to forgive.”

Emily Giffin (1972) American writer

Source: Heart of the Matter

Fear, Disappointment, Heart, Anger

“Forgiveness doesn't sit there like a pretty boy in a bar. Forgiveness is the old fat guy you have to haul up a hill.”

Cheryl Strayed book Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar

Source: Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar

Guy, Boy

“And yet she could not forgive herself. Even as an adult, she wished only that she could go back and change things: the ungainly things she’d worn, the insecurity she’d felt, all the innocent mistakes she made.”

Jhumpa Lahiri book Unaccustomed Earth

Source: Unaccustomed Earth

Change

“It is for God to punish wicked people; we should learn to forgive.”

Emily Brontë book Wuthering Heights

Source: Wuthering Heights

God, People, Learning

“Only reckless confidence in a Source greater than ourselves can empower us to forgive the woulds inflicted by others.”

Brennan Manning (1934–2013) writer, American Roman Catholic priest and United States Marine

Source: Abba's Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging

Confidence

“Not forgiving is like drinking rat poison, and then waiting around for the rat to die.”

Anne Lamott (1954) Novelist, essayist, memoirist, activist

Traveling Mercies
Source: Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith

Drink, Waiting

“Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could have been any different.”

Oprah Winfrey (1954) American businesswoman, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist

Hope, Past

“I know about forgiving people and loving them anyway, even after they hurt you.”

Kristin Hannah (1960) American writer

Source: Home Front

Love, People, Hurt

“Life is grace. Sleep is forgiveness. The night absolves. Darkness wipes the slate clean, not spotless to be sure, but clean enough for another day's chalking.”

Frederick Buechner (1926) Poet, novelist, short story writer, theologian

Source: The Alphabet of Grace (1970)

Life, Sleep, Night

“I wondered if that was how forgiveness budded, not with the fanfare of epiphany, but with pain gathering its things, packing up, and slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night.”

Khaled Hosseini book The Kite Runner

Source: The Kite Runner (2003)

Pain, Night

“The glory of Christianity is to conquer by forgiveness.”

William Blake (1757–1827) English Romantic poet and artist

“It does'nt matter who forgives you, if you're the one who can't forget.”

Jodi Picoult book The Storyteller

Source: The Storyteller

Forgetting

“understanding the true nature of instinctive decision making requires us to be forgiving of those people trapped in circumstances where good judgment is imperiled.”

Malcolm Gladwell book Blink

Source: Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

People, Understanding, Nature, Decision

“The truest grace is not to forgive, but to have never found fault.”

Richard Paul Evans (1962) American writer

“Never forgive, never forget. Do it once and do it right. You reap what you sow. Plans go to hell as soon as the first shot is fired. Protect and serve. Never off duty.”

Lee Child book 61 Hours

Source: 61 Hours

Hell, Forgetting

“Forgiveness isn’t something I’m preoccupied with — turning the other cheek isn’t my trip.”

Karl Lagerfeld (1933–2019) German fashion designer

“What is there to forgive?… Ignore forgive and concentrate on living. Life for you is short; far too short to allow small jealousies to infringe on the happiness which can be yours only for the briefest of times.”

Jasper Fforde book The Eyre Affair

Source: The Eyre Affair

Life, Happiness, Jealousy, Time

“Forgive me…. I called you an idiot. I spoke too hastily. You are not. Had I given it more thought, I would have called you a scoundrel.”

Lloyd Alexander book Westmark

Source: Westmark

“We live on because we can love, and we love because we can forgive.”

Gregory David Roberts book Shantaram

Source: Shantaram

Love

“Dance with her, and she will forgive much; dance well, and she will forgive anything.”

Robert Jordan (1948–2007) American writer

Matrim Cauthon
(15 October 1994)

Dance

“Listen to me." He grabbed my arms, holding me there. " I couldn't find you. And I will never forgive myself for that. Ever.”

Ally Carter Out of Sight, Out of Time

Source: Out of Sight, Out of Time

“A Prince asked the dying spanish statesman, "Does your Excellency forgive all your enemies?" "I do not have to forgive all my enemies," answered the stateman, "I have had them all shot.”

Robert Greene book The 48 Laws of Power

Source: The 48 Laws of Power

“We learn our lessons; we get hurt; we want revenge. Then we realize that actually, happiness and forgiving people is the best revenge.”

Madonna (1958) American singer, songwriter, and actress

Happiness, People, Revenge, Learning

“If there was one truth Evie had learned in her short life, it was that forgiveness was easier to seek than permission. She didn’t plan to ask for either one.”

Libba Bray book The Diviners

Source: The Diviners

Life, Truth, Learning

“We are not on this planet to ask forgiveness of our deities”

Scott Cunningham (1956–1993) U.S. writer about Wicca and the occult

Source: Living Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practitioner

“It’s not just other people we need to forgive. We also need to forgive ourselves. For all the things we didn’t do. All the things we should have done.”

Mitch Albom Tuesdays with Morrie

Variant: We need to forgive ourselves. For all the things we didn't do. All the things we should have done. You can't get stuck on the regrets of what should have happened.
Source: Tuesdays with Morrie

People

“You, on the other hand, wish to know things. And no one can forgive a girl for that.”

Jennifer Donnelly (1963) American writer

Source: These Shallow Graves

Girl

“There is a hard law. When an injury is done to us, we never recover until we forgive.”

Alan Paton (1903–1988) South African writer and activist

Law

“Thank you, dear God, for this good life and forgive us if we do not love it enough.”

Garrison Keillor (1942) American radio host and writer

Source: Leaving Home‎ (1987), p. 9
Context: Thank you, dear God, for this good life and forgive us if we do not love it enough. Thank you for the rain. And for the chance to wake up in three hours and go fishing: I thank you for that now, because I won't feel so thankful then.

Love, Life, God

“The body apologizes to the soul for its errors, and the soul asks forgiveness for squatting in the body without invitation.”

Gregory Maguire book Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

Source: Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

Error, Soul

“Could it be as simple as that? Could love be not grand gestures or empty vows, not promises meant to be broken, but instead a paper trail of forgiveness? A line of crumbs made of memories, to lead you back to the person who was waiting?”

Jodi Picoult (1966) Author

Source: Leaving Time

Love, Memory, Waiting, Personality