The Kiss

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  “Ryabovitch pulled the bed-clothes over his head, curled himself up in bed, and tried to gather together the floating images in his mind and to combine them into one whole. But nothing came of it. He soon fell asleep, and his last thought was that someone had caressed him and made him happy—that something extraordinary, foolish, but joyful and delightful, had come into his life. The thought did not leave him even in his sleep. When he woke up the sensations of oil on his neck and the chill of peppermint about his lips had gone, but joy flooded his heart just as the day before.” The Kiss By Anton Chekhov (1860–1904)

Say What They Need to Hear, Even If It Kills You

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Thanks to my darling, sweet, beautiful wife for finding this quote and posting it on her page:

"John the Baptist's message from the wilderness was not, 'Smile, God loves you.' It was 'O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come.' Jeremiah was not put into a miry pit for preaching, 'I'm OK, you're OK.' It was for crying against the adultery, idolatry and other wickedness of his nation. Noah's message from the steps of the ark was not, 'Something good is going to happen to you.' He condemned the world and was a preacher of righteousness. Jesus Christ was not crucified for saying, 'Consider the lilies, how they grow,' but for saying, 'Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites...children of hell ...fools and blind guides ... whited sepulchers...generation of vipers.'"

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