Flowers and stars

Flowers are the stars of the earth, and the stars are the flowers of the universe.

— Italian writer Fabrizio Caramagna

On these days, in the depths of winter and change, I like to be reminded of the connectedness of our world. From the flowers to the stars, we really are all in this together.

In the words of Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, the opposite of love is not hate…but indifference…a lack of concern, interest or sympathy. When it comes to issues facing our world and our environment, we cannot afford indifference. When it comes to equal rights for women, and people of all colors, religions and races, equality includes everyone or no one.

In the end, it’s always better to be loving than right.

I am convinced that the world is not a mere bog in which men and women trample themselves and die. Something magnificent is taking place here amidst the cruelties and tragedies, and the supreme challenge to intelligence is that of making the noblest and best in our curious heritage prevail.

— C.A. Beard, American historian and political scientist