From that time on, the world was hers for the reading. She would never be lonely again, never miss the lack of intimate friends. Books became her friends and there was one for every mood. There was poetry for quiet companionship. There was adventure when she tired of quiet hours. There would be love stories when she came into adolescence and when she wanted to feel a closeness to someone she could read a biography. On that day when she first knew she could read, she made a vow to read one book a day as long as she lived.

~ Betty Smith

Betty Smith Books Literature Lonliness Reading Solitude

The something which had been a future was now a present and would become a past.

~ Betty Smith

Betty Smith Future Past Present

I will not speak falsely and say to you: 'Do not grieve for me when I go.' I have loved my children and tried to be a good mother and it is right that my children grieve for me. But let your grief be gentle and brief. And let resignation creep into it. Know that I shall be happy. I shall see face to face the great saints I have loved all my life.

~ Betty Smith

Betty Smith Afterlife Death Grief

Oh, and you must not forget the Kris Kringle. The child must believe in him until she reaches the age of six. I KNOW there is not Santa Claus.Yet you must teach the child that these things are so.Why? When I, myself, do not believe?Because...the child must have a valuable things which is called imagination. The child must have a secret world in which [to] live things that never were. It is necessary that she BELIEVE. She must start out believing in things not of this world. Then when the world becomes too ugly for living in, the child can reach back and live in her imagination.

~ Betty Smith

Betty Smith Believing Childhood Imagination Imagination Santa Claus

They learned no compassion from their own anguish. Thus their suffering was wasted.

~ Betty Smith

Betty Smith Anguish Compassion Suffering

It is good thing to learn the truth one's self. To first believe with all your heart, and then not to believe, is good too. It fattens the emotions and makes them to stretch. When as a woman life and people disappoint her, she will have had practice in disappointment and it will not come so hard. In teaching your child do not forget that suffering is good too. It makes a person rich in character.

~ Betty Smith

Betty Smith Disappointment Emotions Rich Character Suffering Truth

The child will grow up and find out things for herself. She will know that I lied. She will be disappointed.That is what is called learning the truth. It is a good thing to learn the truth one's self. To first believe with all your heart, and then not to believe, is good too. It fattens the emotions and makes them to stretch. When as a woman life and people disappoint her, she will have had practice in disappointment and it will not come so hard. In teaching your child, do not forget that suffering is good too. It makes a person rich in character.

~ Betty Smith

Betty Smith Character Disappointment Suffering

Sometimes when you had nothing at all and it was raining and you were alone in the flat, it was wonderful to know that you could have something even though it was only a cup of black and bitter coffee.

~ Betty Smith

Betty Smith Coffee Coffee Quotes Poverty

Look at everything as though you were seeing it either first time or last time.

~ Betty Smith

Betty Smith Life Life Lessons Perspective Time

Look at everything always as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time: Thus is your time on earth filled with glory.

~ Betty Smith

Betty Smith Awareness Wonder

It was one of the links between the ground-down poor and the wasteful rich. The girl felt that even if she had less than anybody in Williamsburg, somehow she had more. She was richer because she had something to waste.

~ Betty Smith

Betty Smith Poor Pride

This is the book, then , and the book of Shakespeare. And every day you must read a page of each to your child--even though you yourself do not understand what is written down and cannot sound the words properly. You must do this that the child will grow up knowing of what is great---knowing that these tenements of Williamsburg are not the whole world.Katie: The Protestant Bible and Shakespeare.

~ Betty Smith

Betty Smith Literacy Literacy Children Motherhood

Yes, when I get big and have my own home, no plush chairs and lace curtains for me. And no rubber plants. I'll have a desk like this in my parlor and white walls and a clean green blotter every Sunday night and a row of shining yellow pencils always sharpened for writing and a golden-brown bowl with a flower or some leaves or berries always in it and books...books..books.

~ Betty Smith

Betty Smith Books Flowers Library Life Passion

Look at everything as though you were seeing it for the first time or the last time. Then your time on earth will be filled with glory.

~ Betty Smith

Betty Smith One Day