About this quote

Green space and books give two basic supports for a calm life. One lets your hands do steady, grounding work; the other feeds your thinking and curiosity. Do you have a corner to grow something or a place to read for an hour? If not, start small: a windowsill herb and a borrowed book can make evenings quieter and cut stress.

When to use it

• On moving into a tiny apartment before starting a new job, I told my partner, "Give me a balcony box and a stack of books and I'll be fine."
• Packing up my dorm before finals, I shrugged and said to my roommate, "Between the campus library and my plant pots, I can survive the semester."
• When my parents decided to downsize to a cottage, I told them, "If there's a little yard and a shelf of books, you won't miss the extra space."
• After I cut back my spending, I reminded a friend, "A library card and some potted herbs give more quiet joy than another gadget."