What is Love… what is Life?

by Anna Quindlen

This message is from a commencement speech made by a Pulitzer
Prize-winning author, Anna Quindlen, at Villanova University.

I’m a novelist. My work is human nature. Real life is all I know. Don’t ever confuse the two, your life and your work.

You will walk out of here this afternoon with only one thing that no one else has. There will be hundreds of people out there with your same degree; there will be thousands of people doing what you want to do for a living. But you will be the only person alive who has sole custody of your life.

Your particular life. Your entire life. Not just your life at a desk, or your life on a bus, or in a car, or at the computer. Not just the life of your mind, but the life of your heart. Not just your bank account but your soul.

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You think your day is bad??

* The average cost of rehabilitating a seal after the Exxon
Valdez oil spill in Alaska was $80,000. At a special ceremony,
two of the most expensively saved animals were released back
into the wild amid cheers and applause from onlookers. A minute
later, in full view, a killer whale ate them both.

* A psychology student in New York rented out her spare room to
a carpenter in order to nag him constantly and study his
reactions. After weeks of needling, he snapped and beat her with
an axe leaving her mentally retarded.

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The park bench was deserted as I sat down to read
Beneath the long, straggly branches of an old willow tree
Disillusioned by life with good reason to frown
For the world was intent on dragging me down
And if that weren’t enough to ruin my day
A young boy out of breath approached me, all tired from play
He stood right before me with his head tilted down
And said with great excitement, “Look what I found”
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Once upon a time, there was an island where all the feelings lived: Happiness, Sadness,
Knowledge,and all of the others including Love. One day it was announced to the feelings
that the island would sink, so all repaired their boats and left.

Love wanted to persevere until the last possible moment. When the island was almost
sinking, Love decided to ask for help. Richness was passing by Love in a grand boat.
Love said, “Richness, can you take me with you?” Richness answered, “No, I can’t.
There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat. There is no place here for you.”

Love decided to ask Vanity who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel,
“Vanity, please help me!” “I can’t help you Love. You are all wet and might
damage my boat.” Vanity answered.

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For those of us who need cheering up or just so we experience
that feel good feeling………..
A little boy is telling his Grandma how “everything” is going
wrong. School, family problems, severe health problems, etc.

Meanwhile, Grandma is baking a cake.
She asks her grandson if he would like a snack, which, of course,
he does.

“Here, have some cooking oil.”
“Yuck” says the boy.
“How about a couple raw eggs? ”
“Gross, Grandma!”
“Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?”
“Grandma, those are all yucky!”

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