Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) was an American poet, teacher, and author most famous for his 1860 work “Paul Revere’s Ride.” This quote was taken from his 1849 novel, “Kavanagh: A Tale.”
This could sway in two different directions. The first way we could think about this quote is that, giving away something that means very little to us could mean a lot to the receiver. Donating a too small coat that we have no use for to a charity shop could mean so little to us, but an abundance to a child who has no coat. Even donating our time to help someone, like at a food bank or nursing home could seem like a little thing to us, but gigantic to someone who needs that help.
The other way to think about it is completely different. Sometimes we don’t really appreciate what we are given: a home, food, water, clothes, family, friends, or pets. It’s easy to take our blessings for granted and forget to be thankful. But when it comes time to give one of those things away, we realize how blessed we really were to have those things in the first place. When we give something away or lose something, we then realize how important it was to us.
Remembering to be thankful for what we have is difficult, as it may seem like we don’t have much to be thankful for, sometimes. It’s good to pause and think of all the blessings we are given and remember to be thankful for them, because we never know how long those blessings will last.
So, here we have two diverse representations of Longfellow’s quote. Both meaning different things, though both still linked together. Which of the two can you relate to more?
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Have you ever heard of “Kavanagh: A Tale?”
Which of the two representations can you relate to more?
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I relate to the first one… This is a beautiful quote, Megan! Thank you for posting it!
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Thank you!
~ Megan Joy
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I really like this! It’s important to be grateful for our blessings no matter how small. I’d like to think I relate more to the first. And I don’t think I knew about Kavanagh.
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You’re so right! Thanks for reading!
~ Megan Joy
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Beautiful! I’ve never heard that quote before. Gotta love Longfellow. 😀
Both of those representations are really good. 🙂
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Why thank you! And thanks for reading!
~ Megan Joy
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I really like this quote. As for the meanings, I’m torn because both are extremely good!!!
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🙂 Hee hee! Well, thanks so much for reading!
~ Megan Joy
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There is always something to be thankful for, and the more we list them to ourselves the more things we come up with. God Bless you Megan 🙂
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Definitely! It’s like the song that Bing Crosby sang, “Count Your Blessings!” 🙂 Thank you for reading and God bless you, too!
~ Megan Joy
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I love this. Excellent quote. Great post.
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Thank you and thanks for reading!
~ Megan Joy
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You’re welcome
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What a great reminder to always be thankful. Thanks for posting!
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Thanks for reading!
~ Megan Joy
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I think the second meaning, but both of them are lovely. The quote in itself is a beautiful one.
Thanks for the share.
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Sure! Thank you for reading!
~ Megan Joy
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