For all the broken hearts out there.
"It’s hard being left behind. I wait for Henry, not knowing where he is,
wondering if he’s okay. It’s hard to be the one who stays.
I keep myself busy. Time goes faster that way.
I go to sleep alone, and wake up alone. I take walks. I work until I’m tired. I watch
the wind play with the trash that’s been under the snow all winter. Everything seems
simple until you think about it. Why is love intensified by absence?
Long ago, men went to sea, and women waited for them, standing on the edge of
the water, scanning the horizon for the tiny ship. Now I wait for Henry. He vanishes
unwillingly, without warning. I wait for him. Each moment that I wait feels like a
year, an eternity. Each moment is as slow and transparent as glass. Through each
moment I can see infinite moments lined up, waiting．
Why has he gone where I cannot follow?"
- Audrey Niffenegger (The Time Traveler's Wife)
Ｄｏ ｙｏｕ ｗｅａｒ ａ ｍａｓｋ ｏｒ ａ ｆａｃａｄｅ， ｂｅｉｎｇ ｄｅｆｅｎｓｉｖｅ ｏｆ ｙｏｕｒ ｔｒｕｅ ｓｅｌｆ？
Ｏｒ ｍａｙｂｅ ｌｉｋｅ ｔｈｅ ｃａｔｅｒｐｉｌｌａｒ，ｕ ａｒｅ ｆｅａｒｆｕｌ ｏｆ ｔｈｅ ｏｕｔｓｉｄｅ ｗｏｒｌｄ ｔｏ ｅｍｅｒｇｅ ｆｒｏｍ ｙｏｕｒ ｃｏｃｏｏｎ？
Ｉ ａｍ ｓｏｒｒｙ， ｄｏｎ＇ｔ ｃｏｍｅ ｔｅａｒｉｎｇ ｄｏｗｎ ｍｙ ｗａｌｌｓ ａｎｄ ｆｉｌｌ ｔｈｅｍ ｗｉｔｈ ｃｏｌｏｒｓ．
Ｆｏｒ ｗｈｅｎ ｕ ａｒｅ ｇｏｎｅ， ｔｈｅｙ ｗａｌｌｓ ｗｉｌｌ ｏｎｌｙ ｓｅｒｖｅ ａｓ ａ ｒｅｍｉｎｄｅｒ ｏｆ ｙｏｕ．
Ｓｏ ｆｏｒ ｍｙ ｄｅａｒ ｇｆｓ， ｗｈｉｌｅ ｒｅｌａｔｉｏｎｓｈｉｐｓ ａｒｅ ｒｅａｌｌｙ ｂｅａｕｔｉｆｕｌ， ｐｌｅａｓｅ ｂｅ ｓｔｒｏｎｇ ｃｏｍｅ ｗｈａｔ ｍａｙ．
Ｓｏｍｅｔｉｍｅｓ ｈｅ ｊｕｓｔ ｈａｖｅ ｔｏ ｌｅａｖｅ， ｓｏ ｙｏｕ＇ｌｌ ｆｉｎｄ ｔｈｅ ｓｔｒｅｎｇｔｈ ｔｏ ｗｉｔｈｓｔａｎｄ ｔｈｅ ｃｏｌｄ ａｎｄ ｂｉｔｔｅｒ ｎｉｇｈｔｓ．
Ｓｏｍｅｔｉｍｅｓ ｈｅ＇ｓ ｊｕｓｔ ｎｏｔ ｒｅａｄｙ ｆｏｒ ｙｏｕｒ ｈｅａｒｔ， ｓｏ ｈｅ ｒｅｔｕｒｎ ｉｔ ｔｏ ｙｏｕ ｎｏｗ ｒａｔｈｅｒ ｔｈａｎ ｔｅａｒｉｎｇ ｉｔ ａｐａｒｔ．
Ｉ ｇｕｅｓｓ ｎｏ ｍａｔｔｅｒ ｗｈａｔ ｈｉｓ ｈｅａｒｔ ｍｉｇｈｔ ｆｅｅｌ ｆｏｒ ｙｏｕ， ｈｉｓ ａｃｔｉｏｎｓ ｐｒｏｖｅ ｉｔ ａｌｌ； ａｎｄ ｕｌｔｉｍａｔｅｌｙ ｈｅ＇ｓ ｓｅｔｔｉｎｇ ｙｏｕ ｆｒｅｅ．
wondering if he’s okay. It’s hard to be the one who stays.
I keep myself busy. Time goes faster that way.
I go to sleep alone, and wake up alone. I take walks. I work until I’m tired. I watch
the wind play with the trash that’s been under the snow all winter. Everything seems
simple until you think about it. Why is love intensified by absence?
Long ago, men went to sea, and women waited for them, standing on the edge of
the water, scanning the horizon for the tiny ship. Now I wait for Henry. He vanishes
unwillingly, without warning. I wait for him. Each moment that I wait feels like a
year, an eternity. Each moment is as slow and transparent as glass. Through each
moment I can see infinite moments lined up, waiting．
Why has he gone where I cannot follow?"
- Audrey Niffenegger (The Time Traveler's Wife)
Ｄｏ ｙｏｕ ｗｅａｒ ａ ｍａｓｋ ｏｒ ａ ｆａｃａｄｅ， ｂｅｉｎｇ ｄｅｆｅｎｓｉｖｅ ｏｆ ｙｏｕｒ ｔｒｕｅ ｓｅｌｆ？
Ｏｒ ｍａｙｂｅ ｌｉｋｅ ｔｈｅ ｃａｔｅｒｐｉｌｌａｒ，ｕ ａｒｅ ｆｅａｒｆｕｌ ｏｆ ｔｈｅ ｏｕｔｓｉｄｅ ｗｏｒｌｄ ｔｏ ｅｍｅｒｇｅ ｆｒｏｍ ｙｏｕｒ ｃｏｃｏｏｎ？
Ｉ ａｍ ｓｏｒｒｙ， ｄｏｎ＇ｔ ｃｏｍｅ ｔｅａｒｉｎｇ ｄｏｗｎ ｍｙ ｗａｌｌｓ ａｎｄ ｆｉｌｌ ｔｈｅｍ ｗｉｔｈ ｃｏｌｏｒｓ．
Ｆｏｒ ｗｈｅｎ ｕ ａｒｅ ｇｏｎｅ， ｔｈｅｙ ｗａｌｌｓ ｗｉｌｌ ｏｎｌｙ ｓｅｒｖｅ ａｓ ａ ｒｅｍｉｎｄｅｒ ｏｆ ｙｏｕ．
Ｓｏ ｆｏｒ ｍｙ ｄｅａｒ ｇｆｓ， ｗｈｉｌｅ ｒｅｌａｔｉｏｎｓｈｉｐｓ ａｒｅ ｒｅａｌｌｙ ｂｅａｕｔｉｆｕｌ， ｐｌｅａｓｅ ｂｅ ｓｔｒｏｎｇ ｃｏｍｅ ｗｈａｔ ｍａｙ．
Ｓｏｍｅｔｉｍｅｓ ｈｅ ｊｕｓｔ ｈａｖｅ ｔｏ ｌｅａｖｅ， ｓｏ ｙｏｕ＇ｌｌ ｆｉｎｄ ｔｈｅ ｓｔｒｅｎｇｔｈ ｔｏ ｗｉｔｈｓｔａｎｄ ｔｈｅ ｃｏｌｄ ａｎｄ ｂｉｔｔｅｒ ｎｉｇｈｔｓ．
Ｓｏｍｅｔｉｍｅｓ ｈｅ＇ｓ ｊｕｓｔ ｎｏｔ ｒｅａｄｙ ｆｏｒ ｙｏｕｒ ｈｅａｒｔ， ｓｏ ｈｅ ｒｅｔｕｒｎ ｉｔ ｔｏ ｙｏｕ ｎｏｗ ｒａｔｈｅｒ ｔｈａｎ ｔｅａｒｉｎｇ ｉｔ ａｐａｒｔ．
Ｉ ｇｕｅｓｓ ｎｏ ｍａｔｔｅｒ ｗｈａｔ ｈｉｓ ｈｅａｒｔ ｍｉｇｈｔ ｆｅｅｌ ｆｏｒ ｙｏｕ， ｈｉｓ ａｃｔｉｏｎｓ ｐｒｏｖｅ ｉｔ ａｌｌ； ａｎｄ ｕｌｔｉｍａｔｅｌｙ ｈｅ＇ｓ ｓｅｔｔｉｎｇ ｙｏｕ ｆｒｅｅ．