With the passing of author Harper Lee, I began to remember when I read "To Kill a Mockingbird" in the 10th grade. Growing up I always heard that it was about racism, but it is so much more than that. So much more. Atticus Finch has many deep yet simple quotes that have helped me understand life and people, and those lessons have molded me into a much better person. Some of these lesson are quotes, and some of these I have learned through this process.
1. "It's not okay to hate anybody"
The opposite of love isn't hate. It's indifference -- and hating means you still care. God wants us to love our neighbor has ourselves, and to forgive our adversaries along the way.
2. Don't be afraid to shoot straight. To shoot for your dreams. To shoot for who you are.
3. Innocence is only temporary, but hanging on to it only delays the inevitability of growing up.
4. You really cannot truly understand someone by just looking and observing. The only way you could truly know someone is by being.
5. The world and its people are not always pretty, but that doesn't mean that we have to stop being who we are.
6. "No matter what anyone says to you, don't let 'em get your goat."
7. Real courage.
8. You are only as strong as you think you are.
9. Kill all the blue jays you want. But remember...
Rest in Peace Harper Lee. You will forever be enshrined in and through your prophetic words.
