Former Quotes

“He tried to measure his day
by tallying the hours on his wrist.
I wiped it off and called him a prisoner.
He placed the hours on a scale
with hours from former days to compare.
I took a hammer and broke it all.
He bent down and picked up the
shards of minutes first
then swept the seconds.
I told him he’d missed a spot;
there were some sparkling specks left.
'What are they?' he asked.
'Those are moments,' I said.
'What are they made of?' he asked.
They are times, I thought, when you win a race
or win a heart.
They are times when you give birth
or lay something, someone to rest.
When you wake up in the morning
with a smile because anything is possible.
When someone compliments the thing
you hate most about yourself.
Times when you are embarrassed.
Times when you are hurtful.
Times when you relish in a hearty meal.
Times when you service others and
are content with a well-spent day.
'What are they made of?' he asked again.
'They are made up of times when we are fully present.'
I picked up one of the specks with the tip
of my finger.
'Do you remember this?' I asked.
'Of course,' he said, 'I was whistling in the kitchen
that morning.'
'Why?' I asked.
'Because of the knowledge
that I was loved.”
― Kamand Kojouri

“People can destroy people; People can also decorate. The former are misleaders; the latter are leaders.”
― Israelmore Ayivor, Leaders' Ladder

“. . . there are two types of fighters, the former strike all over the place hoping one would land, the latter, assured of their prowess and capabilities, hit once and destroy the opponent's desire to continue the fight”
― Soke Behzad Ahmadi & Denise Itchikawa

“Usiwapoteze marafiki zako wa mwanzo kwa sababu ya ujinga wako, wala usiwaache marafiki zako wa mwanzo kwa sababu ya ujinga wao.”
― Enock Maregesi

“Death has only one hand glove... so it takes away the body, but leaves behind the impacts. Difference makers live twice; in body and in impacts... The former is temporal but the later lasts long!”
― Israelmore Ayivor, Daily Drive 365

“Marafiki zako wa mwanzo ni wazuri kuliko wote.”
― Enock Maregesi

“Marafiki zako wa mwanzo ambao bado ni marafiki zako mpaka sasa ni wazuri kuliko wote kutokana na sababu mbalimbali: Wamekuwepo pamoja nawe katika shida na raha; wanakujua vizuri unapokuwa na furaha, na wanakujua vizuri unapokuwa na huzuni; mmezoeana kwa miaka mingi na wanaujua hata utani wako wa ndani; wanajua nini unapendelea zaidi na nini hupendelei zaidi, na wanazijua sifa zako za ushupavu na sifa zako za udhaifu. Hata hivyo, katika maisha yetu, tunahitaji marafiki wa aina zote mbili kurahisisha maisha. Marafiki wapya hutuongezea viungo muhimu katika maisha yetu wakati marafiki wa mwanzo ni nguzo au miamba imara ya maisha yetu, na ndiyo watu hasa watakaotusaidia katika shida na raha! Usiwapoteze au usiwaache marafiki zako wa mwanzo lakini jenga mahusiano mapya. Marafiki zako wa mwanzo ni dhahabu, wa sasa ni fedha.”
― Enock Maregesi

“Never bet anything on men’s stupidity and on women’s virginity; the former believe they aren’t, while the latter believe they might be.”
― M.F. Moonzajer, LOVE, HATRED AND MADNESS

“People can push people down; People can also push people up. The former are misleaders; the latter are leaders.”
― Israelmore Ayivor, Leaders' Ladder

“If one Godfather offers you an opportunity and another Godfather offers you an advantage, go with the former.”
― Amit Kalantri

“No need to look to see if your former home has vanished yet into the humdrum gray behind you; you'll be able to feel it, the sudden eclipse of the tractor beam the house puts out. Of its forcefield of sadness.”
― Garth Risk Hallberg

“Some people are each envious of the person they used to be.”
― Mokokoma Mokhonoana

“Out marched a woman carrying a plate. I didn't see what was on the plate at first, because I knew this woman. She was short and dark-haired, with rosy cheeks and shiny gold Converses that sparkled beneath the ceiling lights. I'd seen her wearing those same gold Converses on TV.
My brain short-circuited a little as she kept on marching toward our table, and I saw what she was holding on her plate. It was some sort of twisted pastry with cherries and chocolate sauce forming... hearts all over the plate. And just one dainty fork.
Oh. Oh no.
She set the plate on our table with a wide smile. "I hear it's a special day for you, and I wanted to bring you this babka beignet on the house. Happy anniversary!"
Oh my god. I couldn't believe I had to lie to Chef Sadie Rosen.”
― Amanda Elliot, Best Served Hot

“Ukraine is an independent former Russian country that is not part of the European Union or NATO.”
― Steven Magee

“The Ukraine war is Russia fighting the independent former Russian country of Ukraine.”
― Steven Magee

“I really am hungry."
I leaned down to whisper in her ear. "I'm hungry for something too."
She turned an adorable shade of red and tried to scoot away from me, which wasn't going to happen since I had put my arm around her waist and there was no way she could break my hold.
That's when we heard the most unexpected sound. Laughter.
I looked up to see the fae in the end booth laughing. She had scooted her book aside and was trying to cover her mouth, but she was laughing.
"I'm sorry," she giggled, wiping at the tears in the corner of her eye. "I didn't mean to spy on you guys, but whatever he just did to you reminds me of my mate."
She burst into giggles again and her laughter bubbled loudly enough to draw the fae from the kitchen.
"Thea, what happened?" The kitchen fae opened the door.
"No, nothing. That big one just did something to the witch and it reminded me of Devin.”
― Sabrina Blackburry, Dirty Lying Dragons

“My eyes locked on the hand Devin had placed so gently on Thea's. They were a pair, a team. I didn't know their story, but whatever bond had mated them had clearly made a decision that the two of them could live with. A bond, two souls meant to find each other. Was that something I could really have? Reach for? My attention drifted to the dragon sitting next to me in the booth, and under the table I slid my fingers next to his until I could hook my pinky with his.”
― Sabrina Blackburry, Dirty Lying Dragons

“And I take it the distraction from before was at your location, Lady Thea?" Ryker kneeled down next to me, putting an arm around my shoulders.
The Lady of Winter tightened her hold on the little girl. "It was, but we stopped it."
"There was a loud boom," Ryker prodded for details.
Thea's mouth was a grim line. "There was. It seems someone... someone came into her powers unexpectedly. The threat was handled." Her eyes fell to the child cuddled under her chin, shivering in a pink nightgown, not from the chill but from the trauma of the night. We all stared, and the girl peeked around her little shoulder long enough to show me the flash of blue eyes to match Thea's under the mop of dark hair that matched Devin's.”
― Sabrina Blackburry, Dirty Lying Dragons