Quotes of the day

Charles 1 Comment
Charles

 

Posted by Vale

The book of the week on Radio 4 this week has been the Winter Journal by Paul Auster. I was struck by two quotes from Joseph Joubert included in today’s excerpt. Joubert, who was living in the early 1800s, published nothing in his lifetime but a book of Pensees was culled from his note books and papers. Auster reports that this jotting was found amongst them:

‘The end of life is bitter’

But, written about a year later this was found:

‘One must die lovable (if one can).

Now, there’s a challenge! 

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Belinda Forbes
11 years ago

‘One must die lovable (if one can)’ There is so much in these simple words. When people are dying before ‘their time’ (or even in very old age) and especially when their illness has robbed them of their dignity, this is indeed a challenge. It is the greatest gift a dying person can give and I’m not sure I’d be up to it. My parents were and I wish I could thank them for it.