Great Big Beautiful Life

by Emily Henry

Even if you’re the one to build the monster, you’re never going to be able to control it.

“And I just can’t help but think, we’re not supposed to know how it all ends, this early. It’s too much of a burden.”

“Maybe,” I say slowly, “it’s a burden, but it’s also a gift. “Life is so complicated. And I think it’s human nature to try to untangle those complications. We want everything to make sense. And that’s okay. It’s a worthy pursuit. But back when my sister wasn’t well, when every day felt uncertain…” I search for the words.

“I understood what really mattered,” I offer. “I understood my priorities. I understood what, in this life, was nonnegotiable for me. A lot of people don’t find that out until it’s too late. They wait to say things, and they don’t get the chance. So collecting other people’s stories, learning from their mistakes, it is a gift too.

She was surprised by his sense of humor, and when she told him as much, he became uncommonly serious. “You shouldn’t be,” he told her. “I was born into a life where I needn’t take anything seriously if I don’t want to.”