You will change. You’re not the same person you were three years ago, or even three minutes ago, and that’s okay—especially if you didn’t like who you were a moment ago.

People come and go. Some are like cigarette breaks, fleeting and brief. Others are like forest fires, leaving lasting marks.
You won’t truly appreciate your name until you hear someone say it in their sleep.
It’s okay not to open the curtains. Some days, the world can wait.

Never hesitate to text someone. If you love them at 4 a.m., tell them. If you still love them at 9:30 a.m., tell them again.

Have a safe place. Whether it’s your kitchen floor or the Travel section of a bookstore, find somewhere that feels like home.
You’ll have fears—spiders, clowns, eating alone—but your biggest fear will be that people see you the way you see yourself.

Sometimes, looking at someone will feel like staring into the sun. And sometimes, someone will look at you as if you are the sun. Wait for that.
You’ll learn how to sleep alone, how to avoid the cold corners of the bed, but still find ways to fill it.
Always be friends with the broken people—they know how to survive.
You can love and hate someone at the same time. You can miss them so much that it aches, yet still ignore your phone when they call.

You are good at something. Whether it’s making someone laugh or remembering their birthday, don’t let anyone tell you those things don’t matter.
You will always be hungry for love. Even when someone is lying next to you, you’ll envy the pillow that touches their cheek and the sheet that covers their skin.

Loneliness isn’t about the number of people around you, but about how many truly understand you.

People don’t always say “I love you” directly. Sometimes it sounds like, “Why didn’t you call me back?” or “Let me know when you get home.” Make sure you’re listening.
You will be okay. No matter what, you will be okay.

And I take them. I also grab some cheese because I love Mom’s cheese. I head outside, get in my car, and leave. Once again, I’m on the go. I’m in a hurry, changing cities and time zones. I visit Mom when I can—after all my work, after coffee with friends, and a manicure at the salon.

I bring her something tasty, quickly ask how she is, what’s new, and listen patiently (as if there’s anything new with her and Dad). I can be a bit sarcastic about her problems, which seem insignificant to me, and then I rush off—running to my obligations.

Mom always tells me I’m not dressed warmly enough, that I’m not taking care of my throat, and that’s why my cough won’t go away. She’ll say I work too much and it’s time to calm down. She agrees with me that life is complicated and that it’s okay if I can’t visit her often.

Yet we live just 20 kilometers apart. I call her regularly and listen to her detailed stories about the market, about my sister who struggles alone in the countryside, about how the tomatoes didn’t bear fruit this year because of the drought, and how our cat got bitten by the neighbor’s dog…

I find it uninteresting. It seems like nothing significant happens in her life. I feel a bit angry when she complains about her ailments, and I beg her to see a doctor, but she just waves it off. But I’m not a doctor—what do I know about what medicine she should take?!

Then, all of a sudden, Mom says sadly, “Who else can I complain to if not you…”

I go silent, holding the phone, realizing how unfair I’ve been. That her bright voice on the line, all her words, and our endless debates about who is right, her grumbling, and my excuses—all of it is our life. The one that exists right here, right now.

I jump in the car and drive to her “unexpectedly.” She manages to bake some flatbreads for me, while Dad offers me a glass of our homemade wine. I can’t drink the wine; I’m driving. He drinks alone, praising his wine. We laugh…

I wrap myself in Mom’s shawl; it’s a bit chilly. She quickly tosses firewood into the stove. And once again, I’m a carefree, happy little girl. Everything is delicious. Everything is warm. And there are no problems…
Mama, please live with me for a long, long time because I can’t imagine what it’s like not to hear your voice, how it would feel without your cooking and the warmth of the home you create… I don’t know how it feels to live without you…

A boy and a girl were the best of friends. They could talk and talk for what seemed like hours, spending all their time on the phone.

And when they were speaking to each other it was like there was nothing wrong in the world, they could never be unhappy or sad in those moments.

One day, the girl texted the boy and he didn’t reply which was most unusual. She tried again but to no avail. Finally, she called him but there was no answer.

An entire day passed and the boy was not available through phone or text. The girl started getting worried that something was definitely wrong.

That second night, the girl couldn’t sleep and stayed up all night worrying and crying. It was then she realized just how much the boy actually meant to her.

The next morning however, she received a call. It was the boy! She was so happy and as soon as she picked up the call…

Boy: Hey!

Girl: I’m so glad to hear from you, what happened?

Boy: I… I was… busy.

[The girl knew that something was off but she couldn’t ask.]

[silence]

Boy: You know what, we should stop this. We shouldn’t talk any more.

Girl: [stunned silence] What? Why?

Boy: Sorry. Bye.

[Boy cuts the call. The girl cannot believe it, it’s as if she has lost a part of her.]

All their past conversations started flashing in front of her eyes.
She started crying, tears were streaming down her face.
She was lost and confused.
She felt broken, sad and alone.
She was standing on the roof and wanted to jump.
He was the one for her, why had he done that?
“Why?!” she yelled as loudly as she could from the roof.

Then she decided she was going to try and win him back.

[She dialled his number]

Girl: Hey

Boy: What did you call me for?

Girl: I need to say something.

Boy: Go ahead.

Girl: I wanted to say just one thing…

[Her voice choked. “He doesn’t care about me,” she thought.]

Boy: Say it!

Girl: Are you okay?

[Silence]

The tears were streaming down her face again. She hung up, and decided to write a note and ran out of the house with it.

[Six hours passed]

[Phone rings in boy’s room]

It’s the girls mom. She tells him that the girl got hit by a car when she was on her way to see the boy and that she’s admitted in the hospital.

The boy rushed to see her.

He reached and took her name, she opened her eyes.

Boy: Please be okay, I’m so sorry.

Girl: Why did you do that?

Boy: I have a heart condition and I don’t have many days to live. I didn’t want to hurt you.

Girl closes her eyes, never to wake up again.

Boy could not believe this has happened because of him.

10 minutes later, the boy gets a heart attack and dies from grief.

“Our greatest joy and our greatest pain come in our relationships with others.”

After letting your emotions flow and experiencing all the feelings, it’s time to reenter the world. Brush away those tears, perhaps spend a moment perusing gratitude quotes to reaffirm the positive aspects of your life (they exist, we assure you). It’s amazing how someone can break your heart and you can still love them with all the little pieces.