Every Breath

by Nicholas Sparks

If you love something, set it free, and if it comes back it loves you.

Churchill once described worry as a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind that, if encouraged, cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.”

“Because sometimes, all a person needs is for someone else to listen.”

It was a tidal wave of sensation and emotion, and he suddenly felt that every step he’d taken in his life had been on a path leading to her, as if she were his ultimate destination.

someone who embraced life, an enthusiast for both the ordinary and extraordinary. Not in the future, but starting now.

I do know that I’m not going to be the same person I used to be, because that’s no longer possible. I’m not naive enough to believe that memories will suffice, and in quiet moments, I may reach for drawing paper and try to capture whatever remains.

being loved deeply by someone gives you strength, and loving someone deeply gives you courage.

Memories are a doorway to the past, and the more one treasures the memories, the wider the door will open.

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.

Cardinals, she thought, mate for life. The idea made her smile.

“Why did fate always seem to conspire against us?” she asked, turning to look at him over her shoulder. “Do you think there’s a greater plan at work, one we can’t even fathom?”

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

I’m anticipating surprise with you as my guide.

And I thought also about the love they’d always felt for each other—like

like stars in the daytime sky, unseen, but always present.