Two by Two

by Nicholas Sparks

but lately I’ve come to believe that some people are born with the capacity to become wise while others aren’t, and in some people, wisdom seems to be evident even at a young age.

can remember thinking that Vivian had changed in the years we’d been married, but lately, I’ve come to believe that Vivian didn’t change so much as simply evolve, becoming more of the person she’d always been—a person who gradually felt to me like a stranger.

Secrecy could be corrosive, and ultimately stemmed from a desire to control.

Surprise and disappointment, after all, often go hand in hand when it comes to raising children, and fewer surprises usually meant less disappointment.

“That’s what parenting is all about. Doing the best you can while being terrified of screwing up. Kids can turn hair gray faster than anything else, if you ask me.”

sustained happiness isn’t something someone else can deliver. It comes from within.

acceptance is the heart of true love, not judgment. To be fully accepted by another, even in your weakest moment, is to finally feel at rest.