thornton wilder on something eternal

"We all know that something is eternal. 

And it ain’t houses and it ain’t names, 

and it ain’t earth, 

and it ain’t even the stars...

everybody knows in their bones that something is eternal, 

and that something has to do with human beings. 

All the greatest people ever lived 

have been telling us that for five thousand years 

and yet you’d be surprised 

how people are always losing hold of it. 

There’s something way down deep 

that’s eternal about every human being."

-Stage Manager, Our Town by Thornton Wilder

remembering a friend today