Red Pen’s blog

"When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares."

~Henri Nouwen

"But pain... seems to me an insufficient reason not to embrace life. Being dead is quite painless. Pain, like time, is going to come on regardless. Question is, what glorious moments can you win from life in addition to the pain?"

~Lois McMaster Bujold 

"Hallo, Eeyore," said Christopher Robin, as he  opened the door and came out. "How are you?"
"It's snowing still," said Eeyore gloomily.
"So it is."
"And freezing."
"Is it?"
"Yes,"  said Eeyore. "However," he said, brightening up a little, "we haven't had an earthquake lately."

~A.A. Milne

I don't have one of my own today, but here's a lovely, cheerful bloom I found on Flickr. Happy Friday.

Orange Explosion, originally uploaded by ~ Panache.

Favorites: When the Nines Roll Over, How We Decide, and Silver Phoenix.

June's nearly over, and I'm just now getting around to posting May's books.

Favorites: Doomsday Book, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, and Finding Nouf.