There are women in this world who become our collective mothers and heroes through unyielding kindness, female loving energy, sharp intellect, precise pen, and vulnerable hearts.
No word can describe my love for Maya Angelou and what she meant to our world, only the fluttering in my chest and the joy of a life that will be celebrated for generations to come. Well done lady! We will all miss you deeply.
Here are some of our favorite quotes from this most remarkable lady.
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
“If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain.”
“The first time someone shows you who they are, believe them.”
“I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.”
“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.”
“I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass.”
“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”
“Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.”
“Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently.”
“I do not trust people who don't love themselves and yet tell me, 'I love you.' There is an African saying which is: Be careful when a naked person offers you a shirt.”
“Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.”
And finally, to a life well lived. “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”
We will surely miss you and celebrate your life. You have been a blessing to all.
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