I was one of those fortunate individuals who grew up in a large, passionate, demonstrative Italian family where we were taught to love as naturally as we breathed and ate giant bowls of pasta!
Don’t look over people’s shoulders. Look in their eyes. Don’t talk at your children. Take their faces in your hands and talk to them. Don’t make love to a body, make love to a person.
I love to think that the day you’re born, you’re given the world as a birthday present.
To this day I cannot see a bright daffodil, a proud gladiola, or a smooth eggplant without thinking of Papa. Like his plants and trees, I grew up as a part of his garden.
The only thing of value we can give kids is what we are, not what we have.
We are so ruled by what people tell us we must be that we have forgotten who we are.
Assume that people are good until you actually and specifically learn differently. And even then, know that they have potential for change and that you can help them out.
To love oneself is to struggle to rediscover and maintain your uniqueness.
In the end you have only you.
We are born for love, but it will die if not nurtured.
We created time, and now we have become the slave of time.
When we give ourselves in love we become our most vulnerable. We are never safe. We become open to disappointment and hurt.
It’s not enough to have lived. We should be determined to live for something.
We treat our encounters with them with carefree casualness. We are certain that our relationships will naturally take care of themselves.
We all need to be recognized for what we’re doing, for our work. Every once in a while we need someone to come up to us and say, ‘You’re beautiful. That was well done. That’s nice.’
If you don’t like the scene you’re in, if you’re unhappy, if you’re lonely, if you don’t feel that things are happening, change your scene. Paint a new backdrop.
When it comes to giving love, the opportunities are unlimited, and we are all gifted.
If I don’t have wisdom, I can teach you only ignorance.
To place your ideas and your dreams before the crowd is to risk being called naive.
Don’t spend your precious time asking “Why isn’t the world a better place?” It will only be time wasted. The question to ask is “How can I make it better?” To that there is an answer.
Choose the way of life. Choose the way of love. Choose the way of caring. Choose the way of goodness. It’s up to you. It’s your choice.