I love quotes. There is something about a good quote from someone respected (and sometimes even from someone unknown) that is just really, really inspiring. I am a bit of a collector of quotes. I have some hanging around my house, I have a bunch saved on my computer and I have even been known to copy some down out of books and off of movies. You never know where you are going to hear a great quote.

My absolute favorite of all times is, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world,” said by Mahatma Gandhi. If you have read my bio you have already seen this, and I put it on there because if I had to pick a quote that sums up my life, I would like this one to be it.

I love children. I am passionate about children and wish more people were. I want more orphans in the U.S. and abroad to find forever homes. I wish more people would consider adoption. I wish more people were open to transracial adoption. I wish more people would consider older child adoptions. I wish more people would consider adopting special needs children. I wish more people looked beyond the small piece of the world in which they live. I wish more people valued the sanctity of marriage. I wish more people valued family over possessions. I wish more people looked at life in the terms of what they could or should do instead of reasons why they can’t or shouldn’t.

I wish more people were willing to take risks for others. I wish more people looked at my family and instead of saying, “I could never do that,” would think just maybe they could. I wish more people knew that a child you adopt, even if they don’t look like you, is your own. I wish more people saw more children as more blessings instead of more burdens. I wish more people knew that you can love a child with a heart-bursting amount of love, even if their skin is a different color than yours. I wish more people could experience the outrageous amount of love and joy that fills my home and heart.

So I live what I believe, and think of Gandhi’s quote often. And whenever I catch myself thinking, “I sure wish people would…” or “I sure wish people would stop…”, I make sure that I start with myself, and be the change I want to see. (Ok and sometimes they aren’t always such grand thoughts…as a mom I have a lot of “I sure wish people would put their shoes away” thoughts too!)

Here is one more quote for today that I really like. Remember, I said that they don’t always come from the most likely of places. This one comes from the Disney movie, “The Princess Diaries”. The Queen’s assistant, Joseph, is talking to Mia, the Queen’s granddaughter, who is trying to decide if she is going to accept her future as queen, or step down. Joseph says, (this may not be word for word), “Remember, the brave may not live forever, but the fearful don’t live at all”. I like this one because it makes me remember how much I would hate to look back and regret not doing something important because of fear.

Do you have a favorite quote?? Send it to me! I’d love to hear them. I will share more later.