Quotes by Carew Papritz

A Good Man. Every night, like a question-and-answer prayer, my son and I recite...What are you going to be? And he says...An honest man. A fair man. A courageous man. And a good man. Thats the most important thing, Papa. And my job is finally done. For the night.

These Moments Cascade Upon One AnotherHere at shepherds dusk, in a valley without echo, I listen for you. With a frayed longing, I hear your shadow voice whispering within me from far away. I grasp at what is left of this husky sun lying golden upon the upper meadows of lodge pole and bear grass. I gather the last remnants of the evenings breeze, so cool and lazy within my arms, feeling it curl up like a small and innocent kitten. And I see that behind a cloak of clouds, dalliance suits the canting moon. Suddenly I do not wish to lose another moment, And I covet all pristine light.

I remember once kissing you, your face lit by northern stars. Promising to grow old with you, and now so simply breaking the promise.

I travel to be replenished with beauty, for travel makes the beauty of this world seem like a Christmas that never ends.

Respect both what you need to know and what you dont need to know. Respect mystery, for mystery is still needed to run the universe. -- The Legacy Letters, by Carew PapritzThings I didnt know.

You become a man when you give your family the best of who you are.

I travel because it makes me realize how much I havent seen, how much Im not going to see, and how much I still need to see.- The Legacy Letters, by Carew Papritz

Starting the DayThe Legacy Letters By Carew PapritzSometimes we make being happy so difficult. And being thankful such a chore. Starting the day like a job we hate. Beginning it like swallowing ten tablespoons of devil-made cough syrup. Because somehow along the way we forget that being alive and healthy and happy are noble goals-or just good ideas. And that the opposite of being alive is being dead. What a choice.

I can FEEL her next to me. This UNION. Of WARMTH. Of CARING. Of the INDESCRIBABLE. As if there were NO PARTING and NEVER could be.

Starting the day—Another chance to be new again. How many of us still wish for that? To be your own sunrise. To awaken like a prayer—both solemn and joyful at still being alive . . .

Remember, Little Ones, everything is not important all the time. Only living is important all the time. Not things. Not money. Not more things and more endless money. Spend well the quality of your time. And yes, be greedy with your hours. If only to then give those hours away as the most precious gifts you have to offer to yourself, your family, and your friends.

Don’t have kids until you’re ready. And when you do have them, have them all the way. They aren’t like some Cadillac that you can turn back into the dealership after three years.

It’s a heck of a responsibility to look after a spirit. So give kids the best of who you are. That’s the most you can ever do.

Don’t spoil kids by trying to buy them off, to buy their time. Kids aren’t stupid. They know a bribe when they see one. They want a parent not a payoff.

Love your kids and just be there for them. You dont have to eyeball their every moment or to orchestrate all their comings and goings. They know this. They know thats too much. All they want is to be assured that theres a home fire cooking, that there are two foremen and a rulebook, and that theres someone to tuck them in at night.

Money-it can buy your kids anything, but it cannot teach them love, respect, and the true value of living life without things.

There’s so much to learn. So much to enjoy. So terribly much to be curious about. Take your life and run with it. Make a habit of being alive. This much of anything, I have learned. And am still learning.

There are hard days to live. You awake to a day when you feel youve done it all before, and youre going to do it again, so why do it at all.

Kids. Theyre not tin cans or sheetrock. Theyre laughing machines. Wind them up and watch them go.

Remember, Little Ones, everything is not important all the time. Only living is important all the time. Not things. Not money. Not more things and more endless money. Spend well the quality of your time. And yes, be greedy with your hours. If only to then give those hours away as the most precious gifts you have to offer to yourself, your family, and your friends. And yes, to my Little Ones.” –From The Legacy Letters–“The Everything and Nothing of Money.