There are no empty gestures made with a full heart.
From A Pocket Guide to Being Human, one of 296 sayings written by John Sarris over thirty years.
From Alfred’s journal
Switch brought me an acorn this morning. I cannot eat an acorn; he knows I cannot eat an acorn; he set it on the page anyway and sat back on his heels looking pleased. For years I would have called that a waste of a good acorn, the way I used to call the funeral casserole a waste of a good chicken, since nobody at that table was hungry. But I kept the thing. It is on the sill now by the inkwell, and I have moved it twice to look at it, and there are no empty gestures made with a full heart. What I cannot work out is whether he knew it was useless, or whether that is the part that makes it count.
He reads what you tell him and writes a page of his journal back, with a few of these chosen for you. It costs nothing and asks for nothing.
Have it on something
More like it
- Your ability to find peace in your heart was not put there for the times things go right.
- Kindness works well with strangers, but even better with those close to you who have ceased to expect it.
- Humility makes you grateful and gratitude makes you kind.
- The true gift leaves no trace on the hand of the giver.
- You will walk more confidently if you watch the road than if you watch your feet.
- Before you sharpen your tongue, remember that it spends most of its time in your mouth.