Every Breath

by Nicholas Sparks

A life, after all, is simply a series of little lives, each of them lived one day at a time, and every single one of those days has choices and consequences. Piece by piece, those decisions help to form the people we become.

It seems as if the ordinary day-in day-out choices don't have a big impact but in reality they probably have as much of an impact as some of the bigger choices we make. Some days it is a struggle to choose to be happy or to be trusting or just to have faith.

Besides, she’d devoted six years to Josh; she didn’t want to believe that it had been a waste of

time. As crazy as he could sometimes make her feel, he had so many good qualities. (the quote continued) Is time ever really wasted? Each day and person brings us closer to the person we ultimately want to be and be with. The clock continues to tick, but we don't know the day or time it will ultimately stop. Since time is a limited resource, we must use it wisely and decide if the company we keep will brings us the life we always wanted.

She wondered whether their purchases had actually been necessary or whether shopping was an addiction of sorts, the pull from the shelf offering a momentary respite from anxiety or depression.

Oh so true! It is an addition. Shopping offers a respite as does a glass of wine, a good movie, an exhausting workout, a fabulous book, a trip somewhere, etc. Isn't life just a series of addictive behaviors that give us break from the ordinary?

People seemed more materialistic, more focused on keeping up with the Joneses, but Hope had learned that a meaningful life was seldom about such things. It was about experiences and relationships; it was about health and family and loving someone who loved you in return.

For my birthday or Christmas, I would rather have a wonderful experience and be with those I love than any gift one could buy. I can't imagine anything better than a family get together with those we love commemorating an occasion. One of the best gifts I ever gave my daughters for a present was a Mother/Daughter weekend in Napa Valley. Those few short days of tasting wine, spending time together, dreaming aloud, experiencing something new together was the ultimate gift. I pray someday I can do it again.

Was sacrifice a necessary component of love?

Mistakes were inevitable, and she’d concluded that regrets could impart important lessons in life, if one was willing to learn from them.

“We were in love, but the timing wasn’t right. And all the love in the world can’t alter timing.”