Dear Edward

(Ann Napolitano, 2020)

Sweetheart, no one is one hundred percent sure of any damn thing. If someone says they are, they’re a liar.

Everything ends. That’s nothing to be sad about. What matters is what starts in that moment.

When in doubt, read books. Learn about the mysteries.

Fuck no, to the people telling him how to live.

Take stock of who we are, and what we have, and then use it for good.

Understanding is overrated.

Dying on your couch watching TV by yourself is a tragedy. Dying while doing something you love with every part of your body is magic.

Help others when they need help, and to accept help when they need it themselves.

The pain is revealed to be love. The emotions are entwined; they are the two sides of the same gleaming coin.

What happened is baked into your bones, Edward. It lives under your skin. It’s not going away. It’s part of you and will be part of you every moment until you die. What you’ve been working on, since the first time I met you, is learning to live with that.