c2p-cmd/Good-Quotes-Authors huggingface dataset:
Some people do not like you
—  that’s a given. So what?
The cup is both half full and half empty
—  it has never been one or the other. Stop obsessing over a trivial point and be thankful you have something to drink.
Birthdays were made for going wild over the people we think are amazing.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
Anyone who takes the time to attentively listen is either an old soul or a romantic one.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
No one believes he is an idiot until the consequences of his actions prove it. Then hindsight rubs it in.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
To actively improve the worldand change your life as well,speak all the good you know,and all the bad refuse to tell.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
The elixir of life is a bubbling stream of laughter.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
I once dreamt that the man in the moon took an interest in me and reflected the sun’s light directly in my path, lighting the way for my footsteps to sink themselves into the ground. It was wonderful to have my course illuminated by one with a grander perspective than my own. But when I awoke, realizing I could not call on the moon for guidance, my spirit sank until it occurred to me I could talk to the one who had created the moon. And He has lit my path ever since.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
The day you were bornHeaven wept at its great loss,Earth joyed at its gain.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
The secret to style is a beautiful smile.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
The best bubbly I ever tasted was laughter.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
Laughter can deflate almost any problem down to its proper size.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
Quit acting like everything is so serious. Most situations aren’t as bad as you fear, and those that are might benefit from a little laughter.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
To look in the mirror and smile is a challenge for many people. Those who do so without the slightest scowl are indeed fortunate.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
If you mess with dragons, you will get burned. Don’t say no one warned you.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
The real me isn’t someone you see but someone you know.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
You won’t solve your problems by drowning others in them.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
The best fathers have the softest, sweetest hearts. In other words, great dads are real marshmallows.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
Stubbornness is a weapon.People tend to draw it out when a sensitive part of their identity is threatened—be it dignity, honor, pride, desires, etc. If loaded with righteous resolve, stubbornness can assist in overcoming obstacles and achieving great feats; however, more often than not it is loaded with anger, used as a means of destruction for both the possessor and those whom he turns his weapon upon. It is best utilized by wise individuals who are able to dispassionately perceive if their stubbornness will accomplish good, or if it should be put away and replaced by a humble substitute to spare the lives of everyone affected.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
A hero is a person who, without a second thought, simply does the right thing because his conscience cannot live with any other choice.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
Heroes don’t have the need to be known as heroes, they just do what heroes do because it is right and it must be done.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
Meanness is a monster that usurps your self-control because you cowardly allow it to conquer you.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
Learn to brush off criticism as easily as you brush aside hollow compliments.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
A gentleman willNever allow a ladyTo feel less than grand.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
Integrity is more than truth and honesty; integrity is an unshackled mind, a happy heart, and a light spirit. Integrity is inner peace with a clear, clean conscience. Integrity is self-respect, honor, and credibility. Integrity is healthy and unfettering, and it is worth defending.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
When gossip starts, be deaf.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
If life is a stage and you are your own agent, then don’t hesitate to play the character you wish to play.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
Remembering our loved ones is breathing life into their fading images, that we might once more see their faces and pass along a tearful “I miss you.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
I cast my eyes out to the seaAnd gaze at all eternity.until forever turns to night.My eyes then lift to catch starlight.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
If I were to sit on the ocean floor and look toward the sky,I might see a whale or electric eel or octopus pass by.And if I decided to jump straight up and reach with open arms,I might feel the pleasure of ocean flight propel me ’mid their swarms.But if I were seated upon the shore and looking toward the stars,I might see a comet or falling star near Mercury or Mars.Then if I decided to jump straight up and reach with open hands,I might feel despair when my feet refused to leave the shoreline sand.And so I return to the ocean depths where swimming creatures fly,For there I can soar with the whales and fish that daily touch the sky.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
It is important that we reme
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
Patience is real self-mastery.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
In one way or another,you owe your life to Mother.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
Observe the Lord’s Day as he would have you, and perhaps He will observe your days as you would have Him.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
Rather than critique people, try admiring God’s creative handiwork.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
Patience isn’t simply waiting, it is caring enough about the situation and those involved to remain calm and courteous throughout the wait.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
Extraordinary power exists in a trial of patience. Few endure their trials well enough to discover this.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
Progressing at a snail’s pace is still progress, and slow progress is better than no progress. Never be stagnant, and never give up.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
When we all part from this life and gather on the other side, the only thing each of us will have to share is his own story.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
It may seem like the dragons tormenting you are bigger and fiercer than those lurking in your neighbor’s yard, but this is an illusion. We all face mighty dragons at home in some form.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
Problems are never as difficult as when they are your own.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
My mother does not own my hands, though she works hard to train them. My mother does not own my eyes, though she frequently directs their focus. My mother does not own my mind, though she yields great influence upon it. My heart, however, she owns completely, for it was hers the day I was born.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
One of the strongest loves I’ve ever witnessed is the love a mother has for her child.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Eena, The Return of a Queen
Sunshine warms us, as do smiles—which makes me think that smiles are sunbeams reflected off our teeth.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
I never knew what Mother knowed,Like how a thread and needle sewed,And how a kiss healed boo-boos fast.Why family knots were made to last.I never knew how Mother sawA caring man in angry pa,A smile beneath the teary gloom,A game inside a messy room.I never knowed what Mother knew,Like how to smile when days were blue,And how to laugh for laughter’s sake,While giving up her slice of cake.I never saw what Mother see’dLike honor pulling garden weeds,Or deep confessions in a look,And hope alive in storybooks.I never knew how Mother knowedTo hand out carrots when it snowed,And why hot cocoa liked the rain,While naptime kept a person sane.For mother knowed and see’d it all.A winner in a strike-out ball.A 'yes, please' in a shoulder shrug.A 'love you mostest' in a hug.Perhaps, someday, I’ll come to knowWhat Mother saw and knowed as so.Like how 'I’m right' can be all wrong,And why the night requires a song.But of the things I learned and knewI never doubted one thing true.My mother made it crystal clear,she knowed and loved me ever dear.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
It’s simply this:the Irish kiss,a snog o’ bliss,be blessed luckfrom any miss.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
The wind is made of haunting souls that moan and groan in whistles and whispers. This ghostly choir chills the breeze and orchestrates a rise of goose bumps on my skin.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
Be sure to wear greenon March seventeen,or else Irish leprechauns pinch your bones clean!
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
Impatience is racing at misery full speed.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
On Easter we wrap up pretty, little decorated eggs symbolizing life and renewal. We do this because of the intangibility of a promised gift, which is the eventual resurrection of the body, restored to its finest forever state. Easter celebrates life and the idea of its eternal value, most notably the life of the gift-giver who demands nothing in return. He is your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
Things that remind me of Mother are these:the truth ‘mid deception, a warm summer breeze,the calm within chaos, a stitch in a rip,a comforting blanket, the smile on her lip,an ocean of love in a heart big as whales,the morals in everyday stories she tells,a wink amid laughter, the wisdom in books,the peace in humility, beauty in looks,the light and the life in a ray of the sun,the hard work accomplished disguised as pure fun,concern in a handclasp, encouragement too,the hope in a clear morning sky azure blue,the power in prayers uttered soft and sincere,the faith in a promise, and joy in a tear.These things all attest to the wonder and graceof my precious mother, none else could replace.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
I wear my wrinkles like battle scars, having earned every last one slaying life’s dragons. They boast of my victories and some defeats while their beauty is a wealth of wisdom gained.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
When I ask you to be my valentine, I’m not asking you to love me. I’m simply asking you to accept tokens of my love for you.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
There is no poetry without want. Desperate want.
— Richelle E. Goodrich
The whispers you hear in your ear that you fear in the air everywhere,they are ghosts.The moans and the groans in the lowest of tones no one owns or condones, they are ghosts.You might deem them gremlins or water or wind,while others say shadows or rodents or sin.But oh! I say no! ‘Tis not so, child, for lo!The chills that you feel in a thrill that proves goose bumps are frightfully real,they are ghosts!
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
It seems there's confusion at this time of yearregarding the reason for Christmas.From shopping for presents to spreading good cheer,the world makes an overly huge fuss.But Christmas is not for the gifts we exchange.It's not about sleigh rides or sweet candy canes.Nay, Christmas is simple. A time to recallChrist's gift of atonement He gave to us all.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
To believe in yourself is to light a spark with the potential to start a fire.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
You can do things. Do you know this?Do you believe it?You should.It’s true.You can do great things.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
I know they don’t respect the lives of others…”“Mortals,” he specified, “who exist for a brief moment and then die off.”Her voice rose as she argued with him. “I speak of people with very valued lives, Edgar. It may seem like a moment to you, but to me it is eternity.”“That makes no sense.”“It makes perfect sense, Edgar! Life is valuable—period. And because mine can be easily taken away, it becomes even more valuable and precious. Yours, you take for granted because you’ll never lose it. Mine, I cherish because it’s fleeting. For that reason alone I can argue that my life is of the greatest worth.”His eyebrows pulled together over a tangled scowl. She couldn’t tell if he was trying to understand her reasoning or if she had merely managed to upset him.“Never mind,” she mumbled. “I don’t think you can appreciate what you’ve never experienced.“That works both ways, Amora.”“Whatever.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Eena, The Curse of Wanyaka Cave
Too often we let others stamp a price tag on us, and we accept their appraisal of our worth, forgetting we are in fact priceless.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
The spirit of Christmas exists in harmonious carols like those sung by angels on the day of Christ’s birth.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
Treats and tricks.Witch broomsticks.Jack-o-lanternsLick their lips.Crows and cats.Vampire bats.Capes and fangsAnd pointed hats.Werewolves howl.Phantoms prowl.Halloween’s Upon us now.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
You breathe.You feel.You seeand hearand smelland tasteand thinkand moveand laughand weepand healand danceand singand love.Thank your mother.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
Anyone who takes the time to listen is either an old soul or a romantic one.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
A pumpkin lives but once a year when someone sets its soul afire and on that night it stirs up fear until its flame is snuffed.But e'en one night of eerie light is fright enough.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
The coldest day in fallis at the Hallows Evening ballwhere ghoulish funavoids the sunas monsters mingle wall to wall.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
I do listen. I just wait for the words to stop and your eyes to speak.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
A smile is a light that sets your inner self aglow, letting others know you’re home.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
A Halloween flower,if ever there was one,would smell like an onion,have thorns like a rose.With charcoal black petalsand vines that entangle,t'would grow under moonlightin mud, I suppose.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
The truth is, when you have little to do, you do very little. But when you have much to do, you do much. So it should make sense that by taking on more than you can handle, you accomplish more than you ever dreamed you could. And so it is.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
Witches cackle.Goblins growl.Spectres boo,And werewolves howl.Black cats hiss.Bats flap their wings.Mummies moan.The cold wind sings.Ogre’s roar.And crows, they caw.Vampires bahahahaha.Warlocks swish their moonlit capes.Loch Ness monsters churn the lake.Skeletons, they rattle bonesWhile graveyards crack the old headstones.All the while the ghouls, they cryTo trick-or-treaters passing by.Oh, the noise on Halloween;It makes me want to scream!
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
One day a week I seek to rest from earthly toil and sorrow.Revitalized, I find the strength to battle new tomorrows.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
If all of our sins, bad habits, and poor choices were permanently inked into our skin like tattoos, we would all dress quite modestly.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
Church was never meant to be a place for gods to gather, but for devils wanting to shed their horns for halos.
— Richelle E. Goodrich
Love in its essence is unconditional. When conditions, exceptions, and ultimatums are cast into the mix, its purity changes. It is no longer love and should be referred to by a less-desirable name.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
You are mistaken
—  he is not a gentleman but a sir. Just a sir. For a gentleman is grander and a rare acquaintance.
When you understand that faith is God’s muscle at your disposal, moving mountains doesn’t seem so extraordinary.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
Love is the ultimate no-calorie sweetener.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
How easy it is to slip.How hard it is to climb.How wise it is to keep in stepAnd never fall behind.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
Sometimes the craziest laugh in the world is the only one that will save your sanity.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
If we were to behave half as well as we believe others ought to behave, we might prove ourselves as grand in character as excuses and justifications prevent us from being.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
I can be tolerant of traffic jams and disorganization, faulty technology, miserable weather, and bland foods. People, however, require more than the cold, grudging favor of being tolerated. They require love.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
There are tomorrows on their way worth the struggles of today. Never give up.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
Snowflakes fall from high.Flurries lift and twirl below.The world has turned white.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
The Christmas spirit will elude you'til a selfless love consumes youand the joy of giving moves you.
— Richelle E. Goodrich
I am more and more convinced that some people are put in our lives solely to try our patience and tamper with our tolerance levels.
— Richelle E. Goodrich
My stomach rumbles.Plates of cookies, cake, and fudge.Christmastime is here.
— Richelle E. Goodrich
Gingerbread houseswith gumdrops and peppermintand marshmallow snow.
— Richelle E. Goodrich
The Christmas spiritwhispers softly in my ear,"Go be of good cheer.
— Richelle E. Goodrich
Mary and Josephhuddle snugly together.They cradle God's son.
— Richelle E. Goodrich
Wise men come to seea child of greater wisdomand honor divine.
— Richelle E. Goodrich
Glittering tinsel,lights, glass balls, and candy canesdangle from pine trees.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
New light in the skyannounces a sacred birth.Shine brightly young star.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
Hallelujah songcarries on a gentle wind,heralding a king.
— Richelle E. Goodrich
Sheep and goats and cowsgather 'round a manger bedto awe at a babe.
— Richelle E. Goodrich
Born on straw at nightunder low stable rafters,Baby Jesus cried.
— Richelle E. Goodrich
Rare and precious gifts,gold and myrrh and frankincense,to offer a king.
— Richelle E. Goodrich
A new star shines bright.Angels herald the good news.The Christ child is born.
— Richelle E. Goodrich
Shepherds lift their heads,not to gaze at a new lightbut to hear angels.
— Richelle E. Goodrich
Dress the part! Invent and pretend to your heart’s content! Act, sing, and dance while everyone’s watching! The world’s a stage, remember?
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
There are many pitfalls in life
—  one is dwelling on blame. It’s pointless. Move on.
So you had a bad day. Kick it aside and be grateful for one less bad day to pass through.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
I drifted off after a while, staring at the only star visible through the thick covering of leaves. Hope seemed a futile wish, but I troubled the lonely star to grant it anyway.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, The Tarishe Curse
Humans are forever discontent—always thinking there are better alternatives to their present circumstances.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Problems don’t actually exist. They’re just the hallucinogenic effects of people being weirded out on what they think life is supposed to be.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
I am accountable for every lie that I tell, but I am also accountable for the effects of every harsh truth I deliver.
— Richelle E. Goodrich
We change when circumstances necessitate it
—  we adapt because we have to. The real challenge is to change when circumstances don’t demand it at all.
The richest people are those who have an abundance of what we take with us into the next life.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
It is my belief that almost anyone can be had with breadcrumbs. For if you leave a trail of the right variety, your prey will come straight to you.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
My life is a fairytale stuck at the climax.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
There are two kinds of people in this world: those who follow the popular majority, and those who possess good sense. In other words, you can either let the crowd steer you right over a cliff, or you can stop to peer beyond the brink and see how a fall will likely end in tragedy.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
The greater self-confidence an individual possesses, the less inclined he is to put down others. This says a lot about those who constantly belittle.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
I wish upon a glimmering star,My hopes as distant and as far. So if this wish does not come true,I’m thankful for the few that do.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Don't ignore me. I only get more annoying.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
I’ve had the kind of bad day no quote can fix.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Teach me to sing and recite,To whistle and jingle and strum.Teach me to color and paint,To sculpt and weave and create.Teach me to sway and dance,To tap and leap and twirl.Teach me to laugh and giggle,To tickle and play and pretend.Teach me that life is beautiful.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
What a mother wants is to hold her babies when they’re small and to be held by them once they’ve grown tall. It’s empty arms a mother dreads.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Your life is a personal lesson. For everyone else it is a loud example.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Fathers are… The teeth on a saw,The head of a nail,The blades on a mower.Fathers are…The grit in a tumbler,The cement in the pit,The coin for the machine.Fathers are…The air in the tires,The spring in the suspension,The key to the ignition.Fathers are... the confidence in a dare,The energy of a command,The boots for the trail.Tis true you might make things work without them, but not at all like they were meant to.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
I once thought it would take a miracle to improve my circumstances. Now, I believe it will take something far more powerful, if such a thing exists.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
If only I could see myself from the same vantage point that I observe the world; I might judge my behavior and expressions more critically, and others less.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Making a wish is fun to do.Dreaming it out is much fun too.Work, and your wish just might come true.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Beauty isn’t visible; I don’t know why people think it is. Perhaps because at times there are physical manifestations suggesting beauty exists in a person, but don’t be fooled. Beauty isn’t the packaging, it’s the treasure wrapped up inside.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
I've yet to find another soul who believes in me with the same fervency as my mother.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
MOM—Mistress Of Miracles
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Was mutual need enough to risk trusting a calculated enemy in hopes of destroying a more powerful one?
— Richelle E. Goodrich, The Tarishe Curse
In the middle of a grocery store, two children were horsing around (one holding the other in a headlock) when the mother turned abruptly to give them a stern repr
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
I dream of defeating tyrants and ogres as well as circumstances and consequences that I cannot conquer in life. I dream of a love as sweet and addictive as chocolate-coated rose petals yet as tenacious as a thirsty vampire and as enduring as immortality. I dream of things improbable and boldly insane.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Southern DADDY—Dandy At Doin’ Diapers Y’all!
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
I am not what you see.I am what time and effort and interaction slowly unveil.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
Be loved for who you are, for everything that constitutes you. Be loved for your core beliefs, your strengths and weaknesses, your admirable traits and troublesome baggage. Be loved for you, because anything less is not love at all.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
When there is not enough time to do your best, do the best you can with the time you have.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
I think I'd rather be liked than loved. It just seems as if more criticism and chastening is shown to those we love, while kind manners and compassion are reserved for those we simply like. So, I hope you like me.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
A princess once carefully kissed a porcupine to be kind, upon which he began to think himself a prince. He then dressed like a prince, behaved like a prince, and announced himself to be a prince. The world, therefore, saw him as such, and so a porcupine prince he was. (Of course, most were reluctant to argue with him otherwise.)
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Stubbornness is surely just taut-jawed, clenched-fisted madness.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
The bulk of life is discovering who you are—and then reconciling that with who you wish you were.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
They say to never look back.But sometimes I do. It’s gratifying to see how far I’ve come.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Oh, how clearly I see your faults! Such distinctly highlighted flaws; it's as if the sun and moon mean to keep them illuminated in my eyes. My mind is quick to spell out a simple remedy for those defects. But alas, poor me! My own faults―which I only assume to have because all do―are blurred and obscured by a mental fog. I've no eyes with which to gaze back at myself. The sun and moon refuse their illumination, and my mind offers no sure elixir but a complex recipe scribbled in foreign words I scarcely comprehend.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Stand tall on the summit after a tedious climb. Take in the remarkable scenery and the exhilaration of accomplishment. But don't pause for long
—  there are greater mountains to climb while you still possess the drive and capacity to do so.
Wilted or in bloom,taking or lending daylight,the world transitions.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Sail through the good days, and on bad days pick a spot of blue sky to steer toward.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Life is the clay from which dreams are molded.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
I wished upon the moon one night, bewitched by how it shone so white. While staring up with some excite my eyes beheld a wondrous sight!  The moon so lustrous and white transformed into an armored knight who caused me just a moments fright when he jumped down from such a height.  No more a soft, celestial light, he was my lover, day and night.   This caused the world a serious plight.  How harsh a sting and deep the bite inflicted on the world, alright, to lose their blackest-hour light.  And so I've come to set things right, to offer up without a fight my lover wished for one clear night.  I hold him close.  He hugs me tight, then climbs again to heaven's height to glow a bluer shade of bright.  I stare at my beloved knight, not wanting to be impolite, and in my heart with all my might I wish a wish that isn't right.  Now and then the world still spites a shadowless and moonless night when we steal softly out of sight to hold each other 'til daylight and share in lovers true delight.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Oh, mightiest wind,wilt thou cease thy breathing inand hold thy exhales?
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
The truth is that few know the truth.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Secrets of a Noble Key Keeper
Twinkle tiny star.Oh, how great you truly are!God's sign from afar.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
A whiff of fresh mintthat tastes like strawberry pie.Your kisses tempt me.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Though I love you to the core of my being, so thoroughly that every cell comprising me aches to be near you, I must accept that we can never be together. For our existence parallels the sun and the moon—a temptation in constant, beautiful view, yet if the sun were ever to kiss the moon it would devour the heavenly orb whole. Oh, my darling, if only I were the moon! Then I would dare taste your lips and be happy for my last and final joy! But alas, I am the sun, and I will not venture to destroy the one I love.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
The key to a better life isn't always a change of scenery. Sometimes it simply requires opening your eyes.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Fathers...Rise at dawn.Stand up strong.Fix and build.Plow the field.Carry the weight.Work 'til late.Encourage our dreams.Provide the means.Fight with might.Defend what's right.Protect the home.Refuse to roam.Forge the way.Take time to play.Spoil our moms.Keep homelife calm.And all becauseof selfless love.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Time machines, magic portals, transporters, worm holes, flying carpets, relocation charms—such things do exist. They're called books.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Because," said a boy."Because why?" asked a young girl."Because I love you.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Reading...inspires,enlightens,nurtures,refines,educates,informs,transforms,persuades,challenges,engages, entertains,mesmerizes,captivates,gratifies,rewards,quiets,and calms.Granted, it won't get the dishes done,but sacrifices must be made.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
The blue of daylightfades and chills as the sun sinksbeneath clouds of fire.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
There are no real start-overs, only start-from-heres.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Be careful what you wish for. It may turn out that making the wish was the only good part.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Compliments land assoft and gentle on my earsas a butterfly.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
The first real day of spring is like the first time a boy holds your hand. A flood of skin-tingling warmth consumes you, and everything shines with a fresh, colorful glow, making you forget that anything as cold and harsh as winter ever existed.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
You stare at your dream from a distance, longing, sighing, seeing what you deem is a warning of IMPOSSIBLE. But if you would squint real hard you would see the truth; the sign correctly reads 'I'M POSSIBLE.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
A finger beckons.My choice is to turn away.It is a mistake.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Love is an afternoon of fishing when I'd sooner be at the ballet. Love is eating burnt toast and lumpy graving with a big s
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Corned beef and cabbage and leprechaun men.Colorful rainbows hide gold at their end.Shamrocks and clovers with three leaves plus one.Dress up in green—add a top hat for fun.Steal a quick kiss from the lasses in red.A tin whistle tune off the top of my head.Friends, raise a goblet and offer this to
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
The earth provides us a brand new beginning every twenty-four hours. It is a repeated invitation to breathe in the cool morning air and start afresh; to mimic the sunrise and brighten up while reaching once more for the sky; to carry a glad song in our heart like the early birds; and, as faithfully as the morning dew, to wash off the dust from yesterday.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Mothers were meant to love us unconditionally, to understand our moments of stupidity, to reprimand us for lame excuses while yet acknowledging our point of view, to weep over our pain and failures as well as cry at our joy and successes, and to cheer us on despite countless start-overs. Heaven knows no one else will.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Moms are life's number one cheerleaders without uniforms.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
A first impression works like a magic mirror; it reflects what intrigues us rather than echoing a truthful picture. A first impression is the creating of an imagined character born from personal desires, perceptions, and biases. Though sparked by an introduction to a real, living, breathing individual, the person remains a mystery long after parting. It is a fictitious ghost masked with similar features that remains. A first impression is rarely accurate; therefore, it should never be trusted.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Your weaknesses may not seem overwhelming, but they will create the biggest problems you face.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
It's silly to think the left eye would envy the right or that one foot would be jealous of the other, and yet so often it is the case.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Anyone who looks good with a bald head is seriously sexy.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
A man once believed he could fly—and he did. Another believed he could walk on the moon—and he did. Why not believe your wildest dreams can come true? Why not see the stars as reachable?
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
I dreamed my shoulders held up the sky for a thousand hawks that squawked and cawed and beat their feathered wings against the hotness of the day. I supported their flight, watching and marveling, until sweat dripped from my body, and groans crossed my lips over fatiguing muscles. Choosing to let the sky fall, I awoke. My eyes opened to a cast of hawks gripping me in their talons. They supported my weight, hauling me high above the clouds through a blue expanse of heaven. And though they struggled—squawking and flapping wearily—never once did a single bird release its hold.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
From the beginning, man could look up at a vast universe dotted by innumerable stars to find every evidence that he was nothing. This evidence only grows stronger as science and technology record an expanse of galaxies filled with planetary solar systems beyond any visible end. Man is but a grain of sand lost on an endless seashore, and yet he believes with conviction in his own greatness.  He is either a divine soul intuitively aware of his inherent, limitless potential—or he is a blind fool.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Laughter and love are their own forms of exercise meant to keep a body healthy.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
There are times you find yourself standing by the wayside, watching as someone struggles to dig a well with a spoon, and you wish with all your heart you had arms and a shovel.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
It is in the coldest months that hugs linger snug, and they warm the soul the most.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Those things that challenge the worst in us tend to strengthen the best in us.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Obsessing over something that has jarred your world is called coping.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
There is no such thing as constructive criticism. There is constructive advice, constructive guidance, constructive counsel, encouragement, suggestion, and instruction. Criticism, however, is not constructive but a destructive means of faultfinding that cripples all parties involved. Don't be fooled into thinking otherwise.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Minutes turn into hours that add up to days amounting to weeks that become  months melting into yearsaccumulating for decadesto pile up for centuriesand ultimately form minutes again―just on a grander, divine scale.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
There are no rest stops on the road of life. Otherwise they'd be congested with traffic.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
It wasn't a kiss that changed the frog, but the fact that a young girl looked beneath warts and slime and believed she saw a prince. So he became one.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Mothers care in volumes of tears and earnestness of prayers and a depth of emotion others cannot fathom.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
The Harvest Moon glows round and bold,In pumpkin shades outlined in gold,Illuminating eerie forms,Unnatural as a candied corn.Beware what dare crawls up your sleeve,For 'tis the night called Hallows Eve.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
We wait for the rains to cease, the clouds to part, and the sun to shine before saying life is good. Ironically, it is because we endure the storms that life seems so wonderfully bright at their passing.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Autumn is a cunning muse who steals by degrees my warmth and light. So distracted by her glorious painting of colors, I scarcely realize my losses until the last fiery leaf has fallen to the ground and the final pumpkin shrinks. Autumn departs with a cold kiss, leaving me to suffer the frigid grasp of winter in prolonged nightfall.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
A monster's worst fear is of being found.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Secrets of a Noble Key Keeper
While silently brooding, I am drawn to the start of a sweet melody that travels to my ear from afar. I smile, reminded that my heart can dance when my feet can't.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Life is a walk through the forest. Don't fear the trees, fear what lurks behind them.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Sometimes while gazing at the night's sky, I imagine stars looking down making wishes on the brightest of us.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Saying 'I'm sorry' is saying 'I love you' with a wounded heart in one hand and your smothered pride in the other.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Your tongue tends to say more about you when it blabs about other people.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
It is to our own detriment that we underestimate the might of small and simple things.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
A truly humble apology works to part storm clouds, calm rough seas, and bring on the soft lights of dawn; it has the power to change a person's world.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Announcing the intended arrival of some people is kind of like issuing a hurricane warning. 
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
When my problems seem overwhelming and impossible to solve, I hold fast to these facts: God is real, He is right, and He cares.
— Richelle E. Goodrich
It's too bad we're not all teddy bears. More stuffing would only make us cuter and cuddlier.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
The least effort is the feat most likely to be accomplished.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
If one is content to freely speak trash about another, it is probably more correct to judge them as the one of ill repute and refuse the load of garbage they offer you.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Who cares who's right or wrong when the last word is a kind apology?
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Learn to look up now and then, just in case a piano is falling from overhead.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Patience isn't tested when it is self-imposed and the duration is self-regulated. Patience is hardly tested when the outcome means little to you. However, when circumstances beyond your control force you to wait with baited breath knowing the outcome will affect your life substantially, that is the true test of patience. It is a cage inside a burning building where every exit is blocked by angels calmly advising you to wait a moment longer. Your choice is to either trust their words or madly claw through them.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
They went back to scooping up breakfast, licking the mess off their fingers. Soon the pile of berry mush was gone and their tongues were dyed a nice midnight blue. Ian seemed in a good mood, sticking his tongue out playfully at his best friend. Eena did likewise, right back at him. She was happy he was smiling, even if his teeth were purple. 	(You’re too much fun, Eena,) Ian announced in her mind. (I’m really glad we’re friends.)	(Me too,) she agreed. (Best friends.)	Ian leaned back on his hands and watched the waves roll in from far off. The swells were building into large, flat-crested waves. (Angelle never thought like you do. You’re creative and kinda crazy. Her thoughts were always more simple and, well…..normal.) 	(Yeah, well, deadly dragons and evil witches tend to suck all the normal right out of you,) she grumbled.	(I suppose.)
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Eena, The Two Sisters
But you will die, Amor
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Eena, The Two Sisters
How insane we are as humans when having received a nasty offense we return the same awful offense. If given an apple found to be rotten and wormy, would we not toss it aside rather than force a soul to eat it? Offenses should be discarded, not returned.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
You are not my sunshine. Sorry. You're more like a gust of arctic wind that bursts in and blows out all the candles when the door cracks open.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Freedom is the atmosphere in which humanity thrives. Breathe it in.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Freedom is essential to the pursuit of happiness. Freedom is essential to artistic evolution and expression. Freedom is essential to the expansion of the human mind. Freedom is essential to the development and application of basic humanitarianism.Freedom is essential to the creation of an individual's will, motivations, preferences, and unique talents. In essence, freedom is essential to the success and progress of humanity.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
What would it be like to live as a butterfly, being admired by the world for your color and beauty and grace? What would it be like to live as a spider, having people shriek and jump and throw a shoe at the very notice of you?I have tasted both―looks of desire and repulsion.How sad it is that we judge a life by such a trivial thing as appearance.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Do we ignore the needyto spite the greedy?Or share and defenddespite those who pretend?
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Take time to laugh, to talk, to hug, and to cry. These are the human relief valves.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
If only you would kiss me.Press your lips to mine like a searing iron. Wrap me in your arms as if you were a monarch claiming a kingdom. Hold me close until I warm through to the core. Do this, and I promise to melt into you, no longer a cold and frozen figure in your narrowed sight. How devoted I would be if only your lips burned for mine!If only you would kiss me.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
I like bubbles in everything. I respect the power of silence. In cold or warm weather I favor a mug of hot cocoa. I admire cats―their autonomy, grace, and mystery. I awe at the fiery colors in a sunset. I believe in deity. I hear most often with my eyes, and I will trust a facial expression before any accompanying comment. I invent rules, words, adventures, and imaginary friends. I pretend something wonderful every day. I will never quit pretending.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
The actual secret to success: Be a better friend today than you were yesterday.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
I won't lie—I don't
— Richelle E. Goodrich
Despair is not for the living but for those unable to rise and continue; they are the only souls with a right to it. It is an end where breath and strength and will have vanished, leaving no way to persevere. To sink into the abyss that is despair is to suffer an existence far worse than death; therefore, cling to its enemy, our ally—hope. For life goes on, and we must not live in despair. We must not.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Eena, The Two Sisters
You know the story.” The Nalnom rotated his hand in the air as if she should recall it.	“I don’t. I’ve never heard the story.”	Joshlon summarized it for her. “Prometheus was turned into a dragon by his angry lover, Naradite. She refused to turn him back into his manly form. He became the first fire-breathing dragon—Naga the Terrible.”	Eena dropped her lower jaw. “What?”	“Naradite turned Prometheus into a dragon,” Joshlon repeated. “Naga.”	“And Prometheus is Edgar’s father?” She was sure the surrounding stares were the result of her virtually shouting out the question.	Joshlon answered with some hesitance in his voice. “I don’t know who Edgar is, but Edgarmetheus was supposedly the son of Prometheus, the illegitimate child of him and his lover, Naradi
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Eena, The Two Sisters
Tell me you didn’t,” she groaned, knowing it would not be the truth. “Please tell me you didn’t take advantage of these poor people.”	“I didn’t,” he chirped.	“Liar.”	With an irritated sigh he tried to convince her. “Amora, you’re not seeing things from an immortal perspective. The people who built this temple…”	“Temple?” she cried, cutting him off. “You forced these people to build you a temple? Why? Because all of a sudden you’re God now?”	Perturbed by her interruption, he raised a warning finger. “No, no, Amora, not God. But from their viewpoint I may seem a bit…..god-like.”	She rolled her eyes in an exaggerated manner.	“If you would let me finish,” he went on, “these particular individuals had no part in the construction of that monument; it was their ancestors who erected it. And I must say, they did a fine job. My likeness has weathered the centuries quite well.”	“You’re despicable.”	He frowned at the insult. “Nobody was forced to build us a temple, Amora. They chose to do so.”	“You were that impressive to them, huh?”	“Apparently.” His eyes twinkled at the memory. He took a few steps toward the distant city, pulling Eena along. “Come on, let’s go have some fun.”	“No way.” She planted her feet, refusing. Surprisingly it put a stop to him. 	“And why not?”	“Because your sudden appearance will upset them! No doubt you’ll want to show off with some shockingly grand entrance. I’m not going to take part in a game of deceit.”	“I’m not deceiving anyone,” Edgar disputed. “I can’t help it if they happen to think I’m perfectly magnificent.”	His pompous view of himself earned a nasty look as well as a lecture. “I can’t believe you’re okay with selling people lies that affect the way they live and think! You’re not even close to being a god, Edgar, and yet you allow them to accept you as some sort of deity because of your unusual abilities. For centuries now you’ve abandoned this world and a population who probably looked to you and your lousy sisters for help. It’s all a big, disgusting sham!”	Edgar pouted like a child. “Fine—spoil all my fun. We’ll go do something else. Something that doesn’t include your poor, fragile, stupid mortals.”	“They’re not stupid.”	“They think I’m a god,” he sn
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Eena, The Two Sisters
It is a sweet thing to have someone love you, but it is a far sweeter thing when his actions convince your heart, and his words persuade your soul.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
Enemies may unite to eliminate a common threat, but never without a wary eye fixed on their ally.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, The Tarishe Curse
The sign of a good leader is easy to recognize, though it is hardly ever seen. For the greatest leaders are those who share as equals in the trials and struggles, the demands and expectations, the hills and trenches, the laws and punishments placed upon the backs of those governed. A great leader is motivated not by power but by compassion. Therefore he can do nothing but make himself a servant to those whom he rules. Such a leader is unequivocally respected, and loved for loving.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
It's been a harsh fight.You've been pummeled and knocked down. Your body aches, flesh torn and bruised. Your eyes can hardly see through a stream of blood. But you are cognizant and alive; therefore, you rise from the fight.This is life. It will test your will, your strength, and endurance. It will challenge your faith and convictions. It will scar your hopes and try your beliefs. In the end, life validates those who refuse to stay down.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
I'm a sucker for curiosity's whims.Does that make me a cat person?
— Richelle E. Goodrich
The search only ends when you finally find the one who truly gets you.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
In my lifetime I have witnessed far too many miracles to believe in impossibilities, and so I am officially modifying the defini
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
Let the giggles fill your mouth because nothing tastes as sweet as laughter.
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes