“The artist must elect to fight for freedom or for slavery. I have made my choice. I had no alternative. The history of the capitalist era is characterized by the degradation of my people: despoiled of their lands, their true culture destroyed… denied equal protection of the law, and deprived their rightful place in the respect of their fellows.”

Paul Robeson (1989 – 1976), actor, singer and social justice activist, born on this day

“I believe we are all here to help each other and that our individual lives have patterns and purposes. My illness turned out to have a very special purpose — helping save other lives, and I am grateful for what I was able to do.”

Betty Ford (1918 – 2011), US first lady 1974 – 77, alcoholism and breast cancer survivor, born on this day

“My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began;
So is it now I am a man;
So be it when I shall grow old,
Or let me die!
The Child is father of the Man;
And I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety.”

William Wordsworth (1770 – 1850), poet, born on this day

“”Self-love is the form and root of all friendship. Well-ordered self-love is right and natural – so much so that the person who hates himself or herself sins against nature. To know and to appreciate your own worth is no sin.” Thomas Aquinas

Some religious teachers build their theologies around the central idea “What am wretch am I.” Hating oneself, subscribing to a self-hating theology, is not Aquinas’s teaching, and it is not healthy psychology either. Authentic self-love is the very basis of friendship – how can we love others well if we have not learned to love ourselves well?

Aquinas goes further: Self-hatred, he says, is a sin against nature. That is strong language. But consider this self-love in the context of the rest of nature – does any tree or whale, horse or eagle, blade of grass or star hate itself? No. As Mechtild says, they seek only to fulfill their true natures, to do the work of being the best possible tree, whale, horse, eagle, and so on. It is false and pseudo-humility to hate onself. We need to come to ourselves and appreciate our own worth and to help others to do the same. There lies authentic friendship.”

From Christian Mystics by Matthew Fox

International Day of Conscience

“It’s better to be hated for who you are, than to be loved for someone you’re not. It’s a sign of your worth sometimes, if you’re hated by the right people.”

Bette Davis (1908 – 1989), actor, born on this day

Image: Bette Davis in Jezebel, 1938

“I would be cautious in embracing or rejecting doctrines. Had they been essential to our salvation, they would have been more explicitly declared in the Gospels, where we are so well taught the practice of every good word and work.”

Dorothea Dix (1802 – 1887), mental health nurse, social reformer and Unitarian, born on this day

“Gratitude is riches. Complaint is poverty.”

Doris Day, actor, born on this day (1922 – 2019)

“Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense. This day is too dear to waste a moment on the yesterdays.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 – 1882), Unitarian minister, essayist and philosopher, quoted in Fragments of Holiness for Daily Reflection

Image: Brunfelsia calycina, common name: yesterday-today-tomorrow

“Trees are living symbols of peace and hope. A tree has roots in the soil yet reaches to the sky. It tells us that in order to aspire we need to be grounded and that no matter how high we go it is from our roots that we draw sustenance. It is a reminder to all of us who have had success that we cannot forget where we came from. It signifies that no matter how powerful we become in government or how many awards we receive, our power and strength and our ability to reach our goals depend on the people, those whose work remain unseen, who are the soil out of which we grow, the shoulders on which we stand.”

Wangari Maathi (1940 – 2011), environmental activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, born on this day

“Gentleness is often mistaken for weakness, but in truth, it is a profound strength.
To be gentle in a world that can be harsh takes courage.
Gentleness is the soft hand that soothes in moments of distress, the calm voice that brings peace in the midst of chaos, and the open heart that chooses kindness over anger.
True gentleness begins within.
It’s about being kind to yourself, nurturing your own spirit, and approaching your life with a sense of grace. When you carry gentleness in your heart, you bring a quiet strength into every situation.
You move through the world with a soft power that can heal, uplift, and inspire.
Remember, gentleness doesn’t mean avoiding challenges or standing down in the face of difficulty. It means facing them with compassion, both for yourself and others.
It’s about choosing patience over frustration, understanding over judgment, and love over fear.
Be gentle with yourself.
Be gentle with others.
In that gentleness, you will find strength, resilience, and the power to create a world filled with light and peace.”

Han Suyin, writer (1916 – 2012)