The Summer of Yes

by Courtney Walsh

“Listen,” she says. “I think you have to find the things that fulfill you. Energize you. No matter what life you make for yourself, find some margin for those kinds of things.”

Somehow, when he looks at me, it’s like he already sees more of who I am than anyone else in my life, and for a fleeting moment I think it would be nice to be known, truly known, by another person.

“And there’s one important thing I forgot about being a young woman with dreams.” “What is it?” she asks. I draw in a breath. “We all need someone to believe in us.”

Don’t wait to love the people you love. We aren’t guaranteed a second chance—we’re only lucky enough to seize one when it comes.”

“The other thing I’ve learned, and I want you all to listen closely,” she continues, “is that life . . . is good. And wonderful. And horrible, and beautiful, and messy, and everything all at once. And that is the beauty of it. It’s overwhelming, but it’s never boring. And it should be lived to the fullest. “And no, that doesn’t mean the biggest car or the best condo. It doesn’t mean a house in the Hamptons or a promotion at work. It means filling your life with the people you love, doing the things that make you feel the most alive.”