Words of Wisdom

There were so many quotes that I liked from the Adams bio that it was  a challenge to narrow them down. I ultimately chose three. The first two were  words of advise to his grandson John, son of John Quincy, and his granddaughter Caroline, daughter of  Abigail Adams Smith.

The words to John sound odd to us, but they should rather be a warning to our me-first culture. ” The Lord deliver us from all family pride,” he said, adding for emphasis,” No pride,John, no pride.”

Granddaughter Caroline was in a quandary over the riddles of life. He responded to her thusly. “The longer I live, the more I read, the more patiently I think, and the more anxiously I enquire,the less I seem to know…Do justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly. ( These phrases came from the Old Testament book of Micah, chapter 6,verse 8.) This is enough… So questions and answers your affectionate grandfather.”

And his own fundamental creed. He had reduced it to a mere sentence, but one with great import. ” He who loves the Workman and his work, and does what he can to preserve and improve it, shall be accepted of Him.”