Story Lover

by Sara Zarr

I really like her stuff. And this book makes me think of lives I’ll never live. Mistakes that I may never make, but at times, you feel like they could have been your own. It kind of made me think of my own family. Diane and Brian have such a different relationship with my dad than I do and I think it’s because I don’t back down, I don’t muck around in the details. I’ve learned that over time all you really have to do sometimes is not back down. Speak your mind and not give up. I guess that’s how I do it with my dad. That’s how I did it with Casey. And I’m really glad I stuck with it, because a life without family would be a pretty lonely life.

And I do wonder, is there an expiry date on forgiveness? Is there ever a point when you can’t go back and confront someone who has hurt you? Sometimes I really wondered about that with the Reconciliation attempts they were doing in South Africa. Could forgiveness and the witnessing of sins be enough to move on? Can that make things right? I don’t think I’ve ever been asked for forgiveness, I know I have asked for it in the past. But I wonder, how long are you even able to hold on to things before they destroy you?

“And you will, eventually. Only, don’t mistake a new place for a new you. I’ve done that more than once. You asked me before why I stay here. Maybe that’s why,” he said, “now that I think about it. Might as well deal with myself right here. It’s as good a place as any.”