A Quote From Your Favorite Book

"No relationship is perfect, ever. There are always some ways you have to bend, to compromise, to give something up in order to gain something greater...The love we have for each other is bigger than these small differences. And that's the key. It's like a big pie chart, and the love in a relationship has to be the biggest piece. Love can make up for a lot."  ~Sarah Dessen (This Lullaby)

I'm a huge fan of Sarah Dessen.  I've read all of her books because they are amazing.  I don't care if they are young adult, I still read them now because I love them so much and because the stories still speak to me.  Each book centers around a female lead who has one big problem.  She has a character flaw and is faced with a large problem.  Over the course of the story, she learns how to deal with her character flaw and with the support of a great cast of characters, is able to work through the problem.  Amazing.

This Lullaby is the first Sarah Dessen book I read.  It will always have a special place in my heart.  This quote is one of my absolute favorites.  It reminds me all the time that love is a two way street.  It isn't perfect.  There is a lot of bending, and compromise, and giving.  That's how life is.  You have to give to get.  And what you get when you give love is so much better than anything that you could ever get on your own...

All relationships take work.  For starters, the obvious romantic relationship takes a lot of work.  It's a struggle.  If it wasn't, it wouldn't be worth it.  When did I realize that I really and truly loved my boyfriend?  It was after a fight.  I remember sitting there thinking, if it was anyone else... I'd be long gone.  That got me thinking?  Why wasn't I gone?  What was keeping me around?  The realization that I would never go anywhere because I need him in my life was pretty epic.  I knew that the small differences meant nothing.  It really was a big pie chart.  The love was the biggest piece.  It took up almost the entire pie.  I'd get a stomach ache if I ate that piece of pie.  It's that big.

Other relationships come to mind while reflecting on this too.  I've been thinking a lot about NeverTooLate lately.  I miss her.  I miss her in my life.  When it comes to us, the love portion of the pie was smaller than the guilt and shame part of the pie.  Love wasn't enough to overshadow the guilt and shame.  Love can make up for a lot, but it takes both people to recognise this in order for it to be true.  The nice thing about this "Love Pie" is that it's easy for different parts to grow and other parts to shrink.  I think that maybe someday the guilt and shame pieces will get smaller.  Then we'll see.  Maybe we'll be able to see past the small differences that don't really matter.  Maybe.  And thank you NeverTooLate.  Now you have me sounding like Orphan Annie!