Quote Of The Day By Maya Angelou: 'But Love Is So Much Bigger And Deeper And Wider And Broader Than...'

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Maya Angelou is one of the most renowned authors in history. An author, poet, essayist, and activist, Angelou was best known for her groundbreaking autobiographies, particularly her 1969 memoir, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." Angelou, who was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1928, chronicled her life as a young girl, breaking down barriers with her vulnerable stories of the trauma, childhood sexual abuse, and racism she endured. She went on to publish six more installments of her life story, though the mark she left on the world spans far beyond her famous autobiographies.

Angelou is known for a number of notable poems that tackle racism, feminism, freedom, and more. She earned a Pulitzer Prize nomination for her 1971 poetry collection, "Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'fore I Diiie," and she even won three Grammys for her spoken word recordings of her poems, including 1993's "On the Pulse of Morning." Angelou also dabbled in show business. She wrote the screenplay for the 1972 film "Georgia, Georgia," making her the first Black woman to write the screenplay for a major film, and she later made her directorial debut with 1998's "Down with the Delta." She was also nominated for a Tony Award in 1973 for her acting role in the Broadway play, "Look Away."

In her personal life, Angelou was married three times, and was the mother of one son, Clyde "Guy" Johnson. Angelou died in May 2014 at 86, but her legacy lives on. Not only is she remembered for the trailblazing literary works she left behind, but also for the wisdom she so eloquently shared with the world—which is why Angelou is the perfect person to provide today's quote of the day.

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Maya Angelou once said: "But love is so much bigger and deeper and wider and broader than that." She said these words during her 2002 interview with Nelson González, published by High Profilers. The conversation took place at her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. During their discussion, Angelou answered a range of questions about her life, work, and her thoughts on faith, love, politics, and so much more.

"She was incredibly warm, unassuming, and generous," González recalled of his interview with Angelou. "There was a holiness about her, a hard-earned self-knowledge, empathy, and a profound spiritual simplicity. I can feel her presence as I write this." Plus, he said, "She offered me red wine in her kitchen at 11:30 in the morning!"

During the interview, when Maya Angelou said this quote, she was talking about the way our society views love. She told interviewer Nelson González at the time that she believed modern culture is "stuck in almost a juvenile, puerile understanding of love," while real love requires a connection much more profound. "Early on, passion is mistaken for love, and passion wants to own and control and have and consume and so forth," she said.

Angelou admitted feeling the "excitement of young, sensual and sexual love" at times in her life. She married her first husband, Tosh Angelos, in 1949, when she was just 21 years old, before the pair divorced just three years later in 1952. Angelou went on to tie the knot twice more, first with freedom fighter Vusumzi Make in 1960, then with carpenter Paul du Feu in 1973 (whom she divorced in 1981). Later in life, Angelou would discover that true love lasts long after the initial spark is gone. "That comes to you with age and wisdom," she said in 2002.

To live by Maya Angelou's words would mean to pursue love, not just chase feelings. Although attraction and sexuality are also important factors, the real, true, and honest connection between two people will make a relationship go the distance. It's easy to get lost in the superficial, especially in this social media age, but in order to find that big, wide, broad love that Angelou was talking about, it's important to focus on finding relationships that will not just bring you temporary pleasure, but will feed your soul for a lifetime. The true key to a successful relationship is deep connection.

• I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

• "We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty."

• "My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style."

• "The desire to reach for the stars is ambitious. The desire to reach hearts is wise."

• "Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope."