Kent Michael Nerburn:
(born July 3, 1946 in Minneapolis, Minnesota).
American author. He has published 16 books of creative non-fiction and essays, focusing on Native American and American culture and general spirituality. He won a Minnesota Book Award in 1995 for Neither Wolf Nor Dog and again in 2010 for The Wolf At Twilight The Girl who Sang to the Buffalo, is the final book in this trilogy.
Remember to be gentle with yourself and others. We are all children of chance, and none can say why some fields will blossom while others lay brown beneath the August sun.
The quote is a gentle meditation on ‘humility, compassion, and the unpredictability of life’.
Interpretation:
“Children of chance”:
We are all products of luck, circumstance, and forces beyond our control, not solely our own merit or effort.
“Fields will blossom”:
Some people flourish, thrive, and succeed, often through no fault of their own, but due to timing, opportunity, or hidden advantages.
“Lay brown beneath the August sun”:
Others struggle, wither, or fail, again, often through no personal failing, but due to drought, neglect, or harsh conditions.
“Be gentle”:
Since we cannot know why fortune smiles on some and not others, we should avoid harsh judgment, of ourselves and of others. We are all playing a hand we didn’t deal.
Core message:
> Don’t be quick to judge success or failure. Life’s outcomes are deeply influenced by luck and unseen forces. Treat yourself and others with kindness, because we are all vulnerable to the same unpredictable winds.
🕰️ Origin & Context:
– Book:
“Letters to My Son” (1994)
– Context:
The book is written as a series of heartfelt letters from a father to his son, offering guidance on how to live a good, honest life. This particular passage appears in a section about ‘compassion and understanding’, urging the son to resist arrogance when successful and despair when failing.
– Tone:
It echoes the pastoral, meditative style of Native American wisdom, which Nerburn often channels, though the quote itself is his own original writing.
💡 Why It Resonates:
– It reframes ‘success and failure’ as largely circumstantial, reducing shame and blame.
– It encourages ‘radical empathy’—‘seeing others’ struggles as part of a shared human lottery.
– The imagery of ‘August fields’ (brown, dry, fading) is a poignant metaphor for missed potential and quiet suffering.
📜 Author: Kent Nerburn.
He is an American author, sculptor, and educator known for his works on spirituality, Native American wisdom, and the human condition.
– Full name: Kent Nerburn
– Notable books:
“Neither Wolf Nor Dog”, “The Wisdom of the Native Americans”, “Small Graces”, and “Letters to My Son”.
– The quote appears in his book “Letters to My Son”:
“A Father’s Wisdom on Manhood, Women, Love, and Life” (1994).
🔍 A Quick Verification:
If you search the exact phrase, you’ll find it widely attributed to Kent Nerburn, often in quote collections on empathy and humility. No earlier source exists, confirming his authorship.
🌟 Final Thought:
This saying is a gentle reminder to hold space for the mysteries of life. As Nerburn suggests, we are all walking through the same uncertain harvest—so let’s be soft with one another.
“We are all children of chance, and none can say why some fields will blossom while others lay brown beneath the August sun.” — Kent Nerburn.
