Annie Dillard Quotes

That’s it?” Jason asked. “You spent an hour talking about how lucky you were to be dying?” No, not dying, Son. Living.

I think the dying pray at the last not "please," but "thank you," as a guest thanks his host at the door.

I shall live this day as if it is my last. And if it is not, I shall fall to my knees and give thanks.

Ageing's a difficult thing, moving closer to death, but it's okay. I've had a good time living, so I'm gonna have a good time dying.

I'm thankful for each and every day. We never know when time is up.

I do not fear death, as I cherish life too much.

My typical day is I wake up and appreciate that I can still wake up.

The best advice about getting older? Just be thankful you're not dead!

Death is an endless night so awful to contemplate that it can make us love life and value it with such passion that it may be the ultimate cause of all joy and all art.

You get into your late fifties, people start falling like flies all around you. I don't take life for granted any more. I'm really glad to be here.

When people tell you they saw your last picture - well, the way they say it sounds like they hope it was.

'Biutiful' is not about death. It's about life. It's a hymn to life.

As I come towards the end of my life, you get to see things in a slightly different perspective.

When one is young, aspiring to play for the country, doing well, any hindrance, like injury or being out of form, can be frustrating and a cause of annoyance or even anger. But once you have a close encounter with death, you realise the real value of life.

We do survive every moment, after all, except the last one.

You've gotta know what death is to know life!

I'm thankful to be breathing, on this side of the grass. Whatever comes, comes.

I don't take any day for granted anymore.

It is neccessary to have wished for death in order to know how good it is to live.

When I was a child, I used to paint intently. The older I become, and the closer death approaches, the brighter my life gets day by day.

Ageing's alright, better than the alternative, which is not being here.

We must laugh before we are happy, for fear we die before we laugh at all.

I look upon life as a gift from God. I did nothing to earn it. Now that the time is coming to give it back, I have no right to complain.

I realise how precious life is, probably because I've seen how it can be taken away.

I love what I do, and I just remember that every breath and every moment is a gift and it can be taken away at any time, so I want to appreciate it and be grateful for it while it's here.