Children | Catalyst Quotes

Archive for the category “Children”

08 Mar 2018

“Kids and Adults – Growing Up”

“There is no scientific theory of the universe that sufficiently answers the question, ‘Who entrusted to me this child.” (Robert Brault, Round Up the Usual Subjects)

“[Kids] don’t remember what you try to teach them. They remember what you are.” (Jim Henson, It’s Not Easy Being Green: and Other Things to Consider)

“Grown-ups don’t look like grown-ups on the inside either. Outside, they’re big and thoughtless and they always know what they’re doing. Inside, they look just like they always have. Like they did when they were your age. Truth is, there aren’t any grown-ups. Not one, in the whole wide world.” (Neil Gaiman)

“The clash between child and adult is never so stubborn as when the child in us confronts the adult in our child.” (Robert Brault, Round Up the Usual Subjects)

“I was wise enough never to grow up, while fooling people into believing I had.” (Margaret Mead)

“It’s funny, isn’t it? When you are young you just want to be old, and then later you wish you could go back to being a kid.” (Lauren Oliver, Before I Fall)

“Adults are always asking little kids what they want to be when they grow up ’cause they’re looking for ideas.” (Paula Poundstone)

“’My kids are starting to notice I’m a little different from the other dads.’
‘Why don’t you have a straight job like everyone else?’ they asked me the other day.

I told them this story: In the forest, there was a crooked tree and a straight tree. Every day, the straight tree would say to the crooked tree, ‘Look at me…I’m tall, and I’m straight, and I’m handsome. Look at you…you’re all crooked and bent over. No one wants to look at you.’ And they grew up in that forest together. And then one day the loggers came, and they saw the crooked tree and the straight tree, and they said, ‘Just cut the straight trees and leave the rest.’ So the loggers turned all the straight trees into lumber and toothpicks and paper. And the crooked tree is still there, growing stronger and stranger every day.” (Tom Waits)

“When I was growing up I always wanted to be someone. Now I realize I should have been more specific.” (Lily Tomlin)

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24 Dec 2016

“You Are Ready to Keep Christmas!”

“Are you willing to stoop down and consider the needs and desires of little children; to remember the weaknesses and loneliness of people who are growing old; to stop asking how much your friends love you, and to ask yourself if you love them enough; to bear in mind the things that other people have to bear on their hearts; to trim your lamp so that it will give more light and less smoke, and to carry it in front so that your shadow will fall behind you; to make a grave for your ugly thoughts and a garden for your kindly feelings, with the gate open? Are you willing to do these things for a day? Then you are ready to keep Christmas!” (Henry Van Dyke)

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“Christmas Gift Suggestions:

To your enemy, forgiveness.

To an opponent, tolerance.

To a friend, your heart.

To a customer, service.

To all, charity.

To every child, a good example.

To yourself, respect.” (Oren Arnold)

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“Were I a philosopher, I should write a philosophy of toys, showing that nothing else in life needs to be taken seriously, and that Christmas Day in the company of children is one of the few occasions on which men become entirely alive.” (Robert Lynd)

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“Peace on earth will come to stay,

When we live Christmas every day.” (Helen Steiner Rice)

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24 Dec 2014

“Make This Christmas Thing Last”

Once again, I present to you the song, “Old City Bar” by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Every time I hear it, I get a bit teary-eyed and I am sure you will also. As you read the lyrics below, the words will hit you hard but try to listen to the song and get the full effect of it. You can then understand that miracles do happen and that we all have goodness in our hearts. After the video, is a quote that I find useful during the holiday period. – Alex Pena

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“Here are a few suggestions for special gifts: a firm handshake to a shaky soul, a kind word to a lonely person, a warm smile to the disheartened, a sincere concern for someone troubled, a feeling of compassion for the neglected, a comforting thought for the bereaved, a respect for the dignity of others, a defense of the rights of individuals, a word of witness to help a seeking soul, a Merry Christmas to all.” (Source Unknown)

Posted in Attitude, Challenges, Change, Children, Courage, Family, Gratitude, Happiness, Inspiration, Life, Love, Quotes | Leave a comment

15 Jun 2014

“Just a Thought … A Different Take on Father’s Day”

Just a thought ….

Today is Father’s Day, a day in which Fathers are recognized for what they ‘do’ and all sorts of accolades and gifts are bestowed upon them. Well, at least the good fathers are; not sure what happens to the fathers that are looked upon as deadbeats, have been distant or unloving to their children. I guess it’s just another day to those children that have ‘missing’ fathers. Or, the love and gifts are shown toward the mother, the grandmother, aunt or whoever has raised the kids. A special Happy ‘Father’s’ Day to them.

What I want to push forward is the idea that instead of us fathers having a special day in which everything is done for us or gifts are given to us, we turn things around and have the day in which we fathers do things for our kids and family since we have been given the privilege to have children.

You’ve heard the quote, “Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad.” Dads are special and when one realizes that we’ve been given a huge responsibility to raise children, to help them grow and develop into loving, caring and responsible members of society. There are many days in which I hear fathers talk about their kids in glowing terms and how proud they are of them. Those children have turned out to be like that because of things that the fathers have done. I know, I know, let’s not forget the mothers either. Don’t get me started on the mothers and their contribution, which is even more than what fathers do. That is material for another day. However I do believe that we should keep Mother’s Day as one in which we should do everything for our mothers because they bore our children and have gone through tremendous pain and even more so responsibility to raise our kids. Mothers are even more special than fathers.

Just think about it, guys. What would you be without your children? They have given you love, looks that can melt your heart, pride, a sense of accomplishment, and did I mention love. Yes, I know there are days in which you wonder ‘what did you do’ to deserve such love and conversely also days in which you wonder, ‘how can you stand your kids’ when they’ve done something wrong. But you still love them and will do whatever you can to make them well. You love them, you cherish them, and you cannot be without them.

Just a thought … let’s make it a different Father’s Day today. Let’s make it “Happy Children’s Day” or “Happy Family Day.”

Just a thought.

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11 May 2014

“Happy Funny Mother’s Day”

Today is Mother’s Day and at many homes there are flowers, cards, gifts and memorials given to our mothers. We get sentimental and mushy and talk about how special our Mother is to us and we place her on a pedestal and look up to her and proclaim her to be the Queen of the Day. Our Mothers are all that but we also want to acknowledge the funny side of motherhood and how funny our Moms can be at times. Here are some funny quotes I’d like to share with you on this special Mother Day because sometimes parenting and being a Mother can be a funny thing. Happy Mother’s Day to all our funny mothers. (AP)

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“The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found.” (Calvin Trillin)

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“I want my children to have all the things I couldn’t afford. Then I want to move in with them.” (Phyllis Diller)

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“The best way to keep children at home is to make the home atmosphere pleasant, and let the air of the tires.” (Dorothy Parker)

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“My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch.” (Jack Nicholson)

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“No matter how old a mother is, she watches her middle-aged children for signs of improvement.” (Florida Scott-Maxwell)

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“Don’t forget to pick up a bottle of wine for your Mom for Mother’s Day. After all, you’re one of the reasons she drinks.” (Anonymous)

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“Any mother could perform the jobs of several air traffic controllers with ease.” (Lisa Alther)

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“My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.” (Mark Twain)

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”In spite of the seven thousand books of expert advice, the right way to discipline a child is still a mystery to most fathers and … mothers. Only your grandmother and Genghis Khan know how to do it.” (Bill Cosby)

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“If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” (Ferrell Sims)

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Posted in Attitude, Challenges, Children, Family, Humor, Inspiration, Life, Mothers, Quotes | Leave a comment

08 May 2014

Mom – “You’re the real MVP.”

“I don’t think you know what you did. You had my brother when you were 18 years old. Three years later I came out. The odds were stacked against him. Single parent with two boys by the time you were 21 years old.

Everybody told us we weren’t supposed to be here. We moved from apartment to apartment by ourselves. One of the best memories I have is when we moved into our first apartment. No bed, no furniture, and we just all sat in the living room and hugged each other because we thought we made it.

When something good happens to you, I don’t know about you guys, but I tend to look back to what brought me here. You woke me up in the middle of the night in the summer times. Making me run up a hill. Making me do push-ups. Screaming at me from the sidelines at my games at eight or nine years old.

We weren’t supposed to be here. You made us believe. You kept us off the street, put clothes on our backs, food on the table. When you didn’t eat, you made sure we ate. You went to sleep hungry. You sacrificed for us. You’re the real MVP.” (Kevin Durant, Basketball Player, at his MVP acceptance speech, talking about his Mom, 5.6.14)

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“Nothing of me is original. I am the combined effort of everyone I’ve ever known.” (Chuck Palahniuk, Invisible Monsters)

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“Hug and kiss whoever helped get you – financially, mentally, morally, emotionally – to this day. Parents, mentors, friends, teachers. If you’re too uptight to do that, at least do the old handshake thing, but I recommend a hug and a kiss. Don’t let the sun go down without saying thank you to someone, and without admitting to yourself that absolutely no one gets this far alone.” (Stephen King)

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“The voice of parents is the voice of gods, for to their children they are heaven’s lieutenants.” (Shakespeare)

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“If you raise your children to feel that they can accomplish any goal or task they decide upon, you will have succeeded as a parent and you will have given your children the greatest of all blessings.” (Brian Tracy)

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“Every child comes with a message that God is yet not discouraged by man.” (Unknown Author)

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Posted in Attitude, Challenges, Change, Children, Courage, Family, Inspiration, Life, Mothers, Quotes | Leave a comment

02 Apr 2014

“Part of Me is Every Age / You’re Unique, Like Everyone Else”

“A grandfather was walking through his yard when he heard his granddaughter repeating the alphabet in a tone of voice that sounded like a prayer. He asked her what she was doing. The little girl explained: ‘I’m praying, but I can’t think of exactly the right words, so I’m just saying all the letters, and God will put them together for me, because He knows what I’m thinking.’” (Charles B. Vaughan)

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“I never liked jazz music because jazz music doesn’t resolve. But I was outside the Bagdad Theater in Portland one night when I saw a man playing the saxophone. I stood there for fifteen minutes, and he never opened his eyes.

After that I liked jazz music.

Sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself. It is as if they are showing you the way.

I used to not like God because God didn’t resolve. But that was before any of this happened.” (Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality)

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“Logic will get you from A to Z; imagination will get you everywhere.” (Albert Einstein)

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“The truth is, part of me is every age. I’m a three-year-old, I’m a five-year- old, I’m a thirty-seven-year-old, I’m a fifty-year-old. I’ve been through all of them, and I know what it’s like. I delight in being a child when it’s appropriate to be a child. I delight in being a wise man when it’s appropriate to be a wise man. Think of all I can be! I am every age, up to my own.” (Mitch Albom, Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life’s Greatest Lesson)

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“You can’t help getting older, but you don’t have to get old.” (George Burns)

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“Be a child again. Flirt. Giggle. Dip your cookies in your milk. Take a nap. Say you’re sorry if you hurt someone. Chase a butterfly. Be a child again.” (Max Lucado, When God Whispers Your Name)

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“Always remember that you’re unique.

Just like everyone else.” (Alison Boulter)

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23 Dec 2013

“Children Remember What You Are”

“Give me a child for the first seven years, and you may do what you like with him afterwards.” (Jesuit Maxim)

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“There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots; the other, wings.” (Hodding Carter)

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“Children have neither a past nor a future. Thus they enjoy the present, which seldom happens to us.” (Jean de la Bruyere)

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“The attitude you have as a parent is what your kids will learn from more than what you will tell them. They don’t remember what you try to teach them. They remember what you are.” (Jim Henson)

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“Conspicuously absent from the Ten Commandments is any obligation of parent to child. We must suppose that God felt it unnecessary to command by law what He had ensured by love.” (Robert Brault)

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“We do not realize how fragile our childhood was until it becomes our turn to play the grown-up.” (Robert Brault)

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