We must ask ourselves how many times others would benefit more from our silence than from our words.
Henri NouwenWhat makes us human is not our mind but our heart, not our ability to think but our ability to love.
Henri NouwenSomewhere we know that without silence words lose their meaning, that without listening speaking no longer heals, that without distance closeness cannot cure.
Henri NouwenReal grief is not healed by time... if time does anything, it deepens our grief. The longer we live, the more fully we become aware of who she was for us, and the more intimately we experience what her love meant for us. Real, deep love is, as you know, very unobtrusive, seemingly easy and obvious, and so present that we take it for granted. Therefore, it is only in retrospect - or better, in memory - that we fully realize its power and depth. Yes, indeed, love often makes itself visible in pain.
Henri Nouwen