The Dinner List

by Rebecca Serle

The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.

When someone leaves, remembering the joy is far more painful than thinking about the misery.

“You cannot have good without evil,” Audrey says. “They are like DNA strands. Intricately and irrevocably spun together. Sometimes good wins, sometimes evil does. We do not fight for good’s permanent triumph, but for the balance. And so it goes.” “And so it goes,” Conrad echoes.

Kindness before honesty. We are taught that honesty is the most important quality. Tell the truth. Do not lie. Etc. But there are so many instances when honesty isn’t kind. When the kinder thing to do is to keep what you have to say to yourself.

“Sometimes I think that the only true way we can ever know a thing’s value is by losing it.”

When Jessica first started using the term my husband, I thought it was so crazy. We were just twenty-five, we were babies. The biggest thing I did was purchase a new Brita filter.

“Merry Christmas,” he said. “Why are you here?” I said. “It’s where you are,” he told me.

Although it didn’t escape me that there was a difference between being broke at twenty-two and at twenty-eight.

“You need to,” she says. “You asked me what you do?” I nod. “You say good-bye.”

“Baby,” I say. Something I haven’t said in so long. I take his hands in my own. Tears are streaming down my face before I even get the words out. “We have to let go. It’s time.”

Well that was heart breaking