Amal Abdullah

“I just mean, even if it was done for marketing, they are remarkable sculptures. It's easy to forget how much time goes into things like designing giant fighting robots for movies. It feels cookie-cutter, but thousands of person-hours go into their creation. We love them because they're beautiful, and they're beautiful because of hard work.”
― Hank Green, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

“That's a fine character to have in the family if there's somebody fun and patient around to balance things out, but nobody wants their ONLY friend to be like that.

So, for the first time in ten years, there was nothing around but me.

I thought that's what I wanted. But when the relief wore off, it was actually a little weird not having anything around that wanted to interact with me. This was confusing, but in a way, I kind of missed it.

I think what I'm trying to describe is loneliness.

I felt pretty offended by it. I mean, what am I -- some clueless animal who needs love and companionship?

As it turns out, yes -- that is what kind of animal I am. I just never realized it before because there was enough ambient love and companionship around to make it seem like maybe I don't have needs, and that's why it doesn't feel like I need anything.

Experiencing real loneliness for the first time is like realizing the only thing you've ever loved is your home planet after migrating to the moon.”
― Allie Brosh, Solutions and Other Problems

“As the mystics say, “Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates. At the first gate, ask yourself, ‘Is it true?’ at the second ask, ‘Is it necessary?’ and at the third gate ask, ‘Is it kind?”
― A. Helwa, Secrets of Divine Love: A Spiritual Journey into the Heart of Islam

“We cannot tell the precise moment when friendship is formed. As in filling a vessel drop by drop, there is at last a drop which makes it run over; so in a series of kindnesses there is at last one which makes the heart run over.”
― Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451