So wrote the Roman poet and satirist Horace, who was born in 65 BC and lived under the emperor Augustus. Quintus Horatius Flaccus most frequently wrote of love, friendship, philosophy, and the art of poetry. Carpe diem is the pithy observation usually translated “seize the day”, but literally meaning “pluck the day”, taken from a poem published in The Odes in 23 BC, Book 1, number 11. More precisely, Horace wrote:
Spem longam reseces. Dum loquimur,
fugerit invida
Aetas: carpe diem, quam minimum
credula postero.
Loosely translated it means, “Set aside faraway hopes. Even as we speak, time is running away from us. So pluck the day and the moment, and don’t put your faith in the future.”
The idea that one should make the most of each day because we never know what tomorrow may bring has been elegantly restated throughout history. Says Henry David Thoreau, “Find your eternity in each moment.” We think about this a lot in our house, and we tell each other, “be here now” or “live in the moment”. It is hard to do, when there is always work and video games, and the internet. I thank my friends and family who have supported, advised and loved me this year (and every year), and given me the courage to seize the day.
All the best to you in 2014!
Asked Pooh, “What day is it?”
“It’s today,” squeaked Piglet.
“My favorite day,” said Pooh.
what a lovely post…