"Gratitude changes the pangs of memory into a tranquil joy"
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer
About this Quote
In this quote, Dietrich Bonhoeffer suggests that appreciation has the power to transform painful memories into a tranquil joy. He indicates that by being grateful for what we have actually experienced, we can find a sense of satisfaction and peace, even in the middle of tough or uncomfortable memories. This point of view encourages us to focus on the positive aspects of our past, instead of house on the unfavorable. By selecting to be grateful, we can move our viewpoint and discover a sense of peace and delight in our memories, instead of being consumed by the pain they may bring.
"At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us"
"If future generations are to remember us more with gratitude than sorrow, we must achieve more than just the miracles of technology. We must also leave them a glimpse of the world as it was created, not just as it looked when we got through with it"
"There are minds so impatient of inferiority that their gratitude is a species of revenge, and they return benefits, not because recompense is a pleasure, but because obligation is a pain"
"We must always remember with gratitude and admiration the first sailors who steered their vessels through storms and mists, and increased our knowledge of the lands of ice in the South"
"When someone saves your life and gives you life, there's gratitude, humility; there's a time you've been so blessed you realize you've been given another chance at life that maybe you did or didn't deserve"
"America's fighting men and women sacrifice much to ensure that our great nation stays free. We owe a debt of gratitude to the soldiers that have paid the ultimate price for this cause, as well as for those who are blessed enough to return from the battlefield unscathed"