On Wednesday, Maria Robledo sent us this image of a quote by writer and civil rights activist Maya Angelou:

Sitting down to a table is one of the few times we can be intimate with one another.

We were stunned by Angelou’s words. We believe them deeply, but had not consciously realized that what happens when people sit together at table is truly “intimacy”, until we read her perfect quote.  We planned to write about that idea — about making a space and time to sit at table, and just how valuable and potent an act it is —when the following day, yesterday, we learned that Angelou had passed away.

The women had a WAY with words and with living. So we’ve selected a few here as tribute.

Maya Angelou 1

I believe that each of us comes from the creator trailing wisps of glory.

I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Maya Angelou 2

You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.

My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.

Maya Angelou 3

Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.

One isn’t necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.

We recommend reading The Guardian’s very detailed obituary of Angelou here.

Quotes via USA Today, photographs via The Source

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