Author: Harry Henry Julin

The Prettiest Girl in the World

‘In matters of the heart, beauty is subjective and resides in the eye of the beholder.’ – Margaret Wolfe Hungerford (1855 – 1897). She is best known for her popular quote, ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder’, which she coined in her novel ‘Molly Bawn’ published in 1878.

The Widow

‘Grief can be the garden of compas-sion. If you keep your heart open through everything, your pain can become your greatest ally in your life’s search for love and wisdom’ —Rumi (also known as Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī, a 13th-century Persian poet “WE discussed our plans for the next day

A Portrait of Pain

‘The loneliest moment in someone’s life is when they are watching their whole world fall apart, and all they can do is stare blankly.’ – F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896 – 1940). Fitzgerald was a novelist widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. He is

The Sharpening Stones

‘In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins – not through strength but by perseverance.’ – H. Jackson Brown Jr (1940 – Present); an American author best known for his book ‘Life’s Little Instruction Book’, which is a collection of advice, observations, and life lessons

The Lamp of the Heart

One night, sometime in the late 1950s, when I was just a tot, I found myself staring at the flame of a kerosene lamp. I still remember it more than six decades later because it was a life-changing moment. Out of the blue, a particular thought came to me. How

The Gifts

‘The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honourable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well. – Ralph Waldo Emerson At the end of a narrow path that branched off from the main

The Last Man on Earth

‘The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.’ – Martin Luther King Jr (1929-1968), an American civil rights leader and Baptist minister who was one of the most influential figures in

Letters Unsent

Letters are the most significant memorial a person can leave behind them.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), a German writer, poet, novelist, playwright, scientist, and philosopher considered one of the most important figures in German literature and is often referred to as Germany’s national poet. “I wonder what my

The Last Fruit

A young woman named Bet fell ill sometime in the early 1960s with what was believed to be an incurable disease. It seemed incurable, but who knew? There was no real way to know. No tests, no diagnoses, nothing. Yet she spent most of her time in bed. During that

The Hermits of River Grove

Deep within the jungle, miles away from the nearest civilization, which happened to be my remote rural village in Serian District, a mysterious family resided. Their presence was elusive, despite owning an old house in our village. Occasionally, I glimpsed the father tending to the overgrown grass and creeping plants