The Red Address Book

by Sofia Lundberg

there are many routes to choose from on the journey we are all making toward death. That we might find ourselves at difficult junctions, yet the road may still straighten. And that the curves aren’t dangerous.

They say that madness and creativity go hand in hand. That the most creative among us are those who stand closest to gloominess, sadness, and obsessional neuroses.

“I wish you enough,” she whispered in my ear. “Enough sun to light up your days, enough rain that you appreciate the sun. Enough joy to strengthen your soul, enough pain that you can appreciate life’s small moments of happiness. And enough friends that you can manage a farewell now and then.”

That might be one of the most degrading things you can subject someone to, not caring about their mind.

Something happens to people who experience intense longing. Their eyes slowly dim, and they lose the ability to see the beauty in their surroundings, in their everyday life.

Sometimes you don’t need to have the same interests or the same style, Jenny. Making each other laugh is enough.

Being separated from a person you hold dear always feels like a wound to the soul.

Start cultivating your talents rather than going through life thinking that you aren’t good enough. Start writing again. Work on yourself. In the end, that’s all that really matters. You’re never any more than your soul.”

The greatest comfort in life comes from freely expressing one’s opinion and being met with nothing but love in return, even when opinions diverge.

In the end, all that matters is love.