very known text by veronica shoffstall. compendium of shakespeare citations.

1. Aftera While You Learn...
by Veronica A. Shoffstall, © 1971

2. After some time you learn the difference
The subtle difference between holding a hand and chaining a soul
And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning

3. And company
doesn't always
mean security

4. And you begin
to learn that
kisses aren't
contracts

5. And presents aren't promises

6. And you begin to accept
your defeats

7. With your head
up and your eyes
ahead
With the grace
of a woman
Not the grief of
a child

8. And you learn to build all your roads on today

9. Because
tomorrow's
ground is too
uncertain for
plans

11. That even the sun burns if you get too much
After a while you learn

12. And learn that it doesn't matter how much you do care

14. She will hurt you once in a while
And you need to forgive her for that
And you accept that it doesn't matter
how good a person is

15. You learnYou learn
that talking canthat talking can
relieverelieve
emotional painemotional pain

16. And just a few seconds
to destroy it
You discoverthat it takes several
years to build a relationship based
on confidence

17. And that you can
do something
just in an instant
which you will regret for
the rest of yourlife

18. You learn that the true friendships
Continue to grow even from miles away

19. And that what matters isn't
WHAT you have in your life
But WHO you have in your life

20. And that good friends are the family
which we are allowed to choose

21. You learn that we don't have to switch your friends
If we understand that friends can also change

22. You realize that you are your best friend
And that you can do anything or nothing
And have good moments together

23. You discover
that the people
who you most care about
in yourlife
are taken fromyou so quickly

24. So we must always
leave the people who we care about
with lovely words

25. You learn that the circumstances
and the environment
have influence upon us
But we are responsible for
ourselves

26. You start to learn
that you should not
compare yourself with others
But with the best you can be

27. You discoverthat
it takes a long time
to become the person
you wish to be
And that the time is
short

28. You learn that it doesn't matter where you have
reached
But where you are going to

29. But if you don't know
where you are going to
anywhere will do

30. You learn that eitheryou control youracts
Orthey shall control you

31. And that to be flexible
doesn't mean
to be weak
or not to have
personality

32. Because it doesn't matter
how delicate and fragile
the situation is
There are
always two sides

33. You learn that heroes are those
who did what was necessary to be done
Facing the consequences

34. You learn that patience
demands a lot of practice

35. You discoverthat sometimes
The person who you most
expect to be kicked by
when you fall
Is one of the few who
will help you to stand up

36. You learn that maturity has more to do
with the kinds of experiences you had
and what you have learnedlearned from them
than how many birthdays you have celebrated

37. You learn that
there are more
from yourparents inside you
than you thought

38. You learn that
we shall nevertell a child that
dreams are silly
Very few things
are so humiliating
And it would be a tragedy
if they believed in it

39. You learn that when you are angry
You have the right to be angry
But this doesn't give you the right to be cruel

40. You discoverthat only because
someone doesn't love you
the way you would like him to
It doesn't mean that this person doesn't
love you the most he can
Because there are people who love us
But just don't know how to show orlive that

41. You learn that
sometimes it isn't enough
being forgiven by someone
Sometimes you have to learn
how to forgive yourself

42. You learn that
with the same harshness you judge
Some day you will be condemned

43. You learn that it doesn't matter
in how many pieces yourheart has been broken
The world doesn't stop foryou to fix it

44. You learn that
time isn't something you can turn back

45. Therefore you must plant your own garden and decorate your own soul
Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers

46. And you learn that you really can endure
You really are strong
And you can go so fartherthan you thought you could go

47. And that life really has a value
And you have value within the life

48. And that ourgifts are betrayers
and make us lose
the good we could conquer

49. Aftera While You Learn...
by Veronica A. Shoffstall,© 1971