Attachments

by Rainbow Rowell

Money is a cruel thing. It’s the thing that stands between you and the things you want and the people you love.”

Love. Purpose. Those are the things that you can’t plan for. Those are the things that just happen. And what if they don’t happen? Do you spend your whole life pining for them? Waiting to be happy?

“It would have to be. I already love you so much. I already feel like something in my chest is going to pop when I see you. I couldn’t love anyone more than I do you, it would kill me. And I couldn’t love anyone less because it would always feel like less. Even if I loved some other girl, that’s all I would ever think about, the difference between loving her and loving you.”

I woke up thinking about how, no matter how bad everything else is, there’s still October.

“There’s never been a moment,” he barely said, “when I didn’t recognize you.”

Wasn’t that the rule that forced you to give Four Weddings and a Funeral four stars even though you thought Andie MacDowell was a disaster?

“So, what if, instead of thinking about solving your whole life, you just think about adding additional good things. One at a time. Just let your pile of good things grow.”

The whole point of clothing is to hide your shame. (Genesis 3:7)

There’s nothing sadder than buying bananas one at a time.

But the aching faded, too. Things get better—hurt less—over time. If you let them.