Mary Oliver Quotes

A simple life is good with me. I don't need a whole lot. For me, a T-shirt, a pair of shorts, barefoot on a beach and I'm happy.

My father was in the army, and there wasn't too much money. Yet, we learnt to enjoy the small pleasures of life, to look at the positives.

My idea of Heaven is to wake up, have a good breakfast, and spend the rest of the day drawing.

If you're good, you'll get work. And if I've got food in my fridge and clothes on my back, I'll be happy.

Live and work but do not forget to play, to have fun in life and really enjoy it.

I love watching old movies, reading and having some good meals. I have a very close group of friends and family. I try to spend time with the ones that I love and work as hard as possible.

It's easy to impress me. I don't need a fancy party to be happy. Just good friends, good food, and good laughs. I'm happy. I'm satisfied. I'm content.

My life at home gives me absolute joy. Having so much time there with the family has just been incredible. My life has changed and I work less, but I was never really one to work too much.

If I'm not working, I have home time with my family, and if I spend that stressing what's going to happen next, then it's a waste. I have a lot to be thankful for.

I was from a tough neighborhood, and we didn't have a lot of money, but my dad worked hard, and my mom is good at budgeting things. That made me appreciate things.

I really live a simple life and don't need very much to feel good and happy. Don't get me wrong; I believe you should get what you earn. Sometimes you have to fight for it.

Happiness is actually found in simple things, such as taking my nephew around the island by bicycle or seeing the stars at night. We go to coffee shops or see airplanes land at the airport.

You've to celebrate the good days because there are brutal days that make the good ones sweet.

We are closer to the ants than to the butterflies. Very few people can endure much leisure.

Our pleasures were simple - they included survival.

No affairs for me. It is so wonderful to have a family to come home to, to sit with them, pull each other's legs... To lose all of that for what? Who's got the time? I'm having great fun working.

It's been very nice. I haven't gotten out too much because we've been working a lot but other wise the people have been very nice and I've had a good time.

The things that make me happiest in the whole world are going on the occasional picnic, either with my children or with my partner; big family gatherings; and being able to go to the grocery store - if I can get those things in, I'm doing good.

When I think about how I grew up sleeping on a cot in the hallway in a one-bedroom apartment in Flatbush, it's been a great life. I can't complain.

I'm happy to be alive and to play any sport and, really, I wouldn't mind working for a living and playing at weekends.

I am not a major jet-setter; I am a simple man who likes to be on a good beach, have a little swim, and play beach football.

When I was growing up, my parents would apologize when we didn't have enough money for something. I'd always tell them that it was O.K. and that I had learned to work hard because of them.

I prefer hanging out with my small group of friends, maybe head to the beach once in three months, pursue my hobbies, and just be happy with the small joys of life.

Most of us work so hard and live so hard. On the first day of the holiday I remain in work gear, it can take me some time to slow down and all that time I'm missing the serendipity of the wonderful things that are all around us.

It is good even to be a fisherman in summer and in winter.