Wow, this letter [from John Steinbeck, to his son Thom]
New York
November 10, 1958
Dear Thom:
We had your letter this morning. I will answer it from my point of view and of course Elaine will from hers.
First — if you are in love — that’s a good thing — that’s about the best thing that can happen to anyone. Don’t let anyone make it small or light to you.
Second — There are several kinds of love. One is a selfish, mean, grasping, egotistical thing which uses love for self-importance. This is the ugly and crippling kind. The other is an outpouring of everything good in you — of kindness and consideration and respect — not only the social respect of manners but the greater respect which is recognition of another person as unique and valuable. The first kind can make you sick and small and weak but the second can release in you strength, and courage and goodness and even wisdom you didn’t know you had.
You say this is not puppy love. If you feel so deeply — of course it isn’t puppy love.
But I don’t think you were asking me what you feel. You know better than anyone. What you wanted me to help you with is what to do about it — and that I can tell you.
Glory in it for one thing and be very glad and grateful for it.
The object of love is the best and most beautiful. Try to live up to it.
If you love someone — there is no possible harm in saying so — only you must remember that some people are very shy and sometimes the saying must take that shyness into consideration.
Girls have a way of knowing or feeling what you feel, but they usually like to hear it also.
It sometimes happens that what you feel is not returned for one reason or another — but that does not make your feeling less valuable and good.
Lastly, I know your feeling because I have it and I’m glad you have it.
We will be glad to meet Susan. She will be very welcome. But Elaine will make all such arrangements because that is her province and she will be very glad to. She knows about love too and maybe she can give you more help than I can.
And don’t worry about losing. If it is right, it happens — The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away.
Love,
Fa
(Source: brainpickings.org)
It’s a lesson that I’ve had to learn the hard way, and it’s that you cannot force love. You cannot force it no matter how much you love someone, you cannot make them love you back. It just has to happen naturally. You can’t control it. Stop writing the story. Don’t write the beginning, the middle, the end. Just let it happen.
Look at this man. I don’t give a damn what you have to say; it takes a brave soul to love so fearlessly. Even when she denied him by choice— when Lily Evans became Lily Potter— he never gave up on her. Though he never stopped loving her, he respected her choice. He even went so far as to protect her family. Then when he lost her to death, he continued to protect the one thing that was left of her, that reminded him of his loss each and every day. He even went so far as to lie to the face of the biggest danger in the Wizarding world. Severus Snape did all of this because he loved so courageously. That, my friends, is the most powerful magic of all.
True, unconditional love reigns forever. Here’s to my Patron Wizard, Professor Severus Snape.
(Source: worldather-fingertips)
Look at this man. I don’t give a damn what you have to say; it takes a brave soul to love so fearlessly. Even when she denied him by choice— when Lily Evans became Lily Potter— he never gave up on her. Though he never stopped loving her, he respected her choice. He even went so far as to protect her family. Then when he lost her to death, he continued to protect the one thing that was left of her, that reminded him of his loss each and every day. He even went so far as to lie to the face of the biggest danger in the Wizarding world. Severus Snape did all of this because he loved so courageously. That, my friends, is the most powerful magic of all.
Hindi ko alam kung sapat na ba’ng sabihin kong mahal na mahal ko siya upang mapantayan ang nararamdaman ko para sa kanya. Mahal ko siya nang higit pa sa kaya kong sabihin, sa kaya kong isagot, sa kaya niyang maintindihan. Kung sasabihin kong mahal ko siya, malamang ay magtatampo ang aking nararamdaman dahil mga salita lang ang mga—-Ah, yes or no lang ba? Okay
fine, oo, mahal ko siya.
You can stop believing for a while like me, but love is funny like that—-it will find you no matter how dark a place you choose to hide, and shine a light so warm that it can melt your heart.
