And, just as it only takes a moment to die, it only takes a moment to live. You just close your eyes and let every futile fear slip away. And then, in this new state, free from fear, you ask yourself: who am I? If I could live without doubt what would I do? If I could be kind without the fear of being fucked over? If I could love without fear of being hurt? If I could taste the sweetness of today without thinking of how I will miss that taste tomorrow? If I could not fear the passing of time and the people it will steal? Yes. What would I do? Who would I care for? What battle would I fight? Which paths would I step down? What joys would I allow myself? What internal mysteries would I solve? How, in short, would I live?
― Matt Haig, How to Stop Time

 

Below is the original photo used to create this image. These sweet roses were a gift for my birthday last year. No special lighting or retouching, just a snap from my smart phone.

It’s bullshit to think of friendship and romance as being different. They’re not. They’re just variations of the same love. Variations of the same desire to be close.
― Rachel Cohn, Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List

 

Below is the original photo used to create this image. This is a royalty-free image from Pixabay.

Dreams are always crushing when they don’t come true. But it’s the simple dreams that are often the most painful because they seem so personal, so reasonable, so attainable. You’re always close enough to touch, but never quite close enough to hold and it’s enough to break your heart.
― Nicholas Sparks, Three Weeks With My Brother

 

 Below is the original photo used to create this image. Now that I’m working from home, this is a part of my new office view. No special lighting or retouching, just a snap from my smart phone.

That is why it is so important to let certain things go. To release them. To cut loose. People need to understand that no one is playing with marked cards; sometimes we win and sometimes we lose. Don’t expect to get anything back, don’t expect recognition for your efforts, don’t expect your genius to be discovered or your love to be understood. Complete the circle. Not out of pride, inability or arrogance, but simply because whatever it is no longer fits in your life. Close the door, change the record, clean the house, get rid of the dust. Stop being who you were and become who you are.
― Paulo Coelho, The Zahir

 

 

Below is the original photo used to create this image. These pretties were arranged in planters at a local outdoor mall. No special lighting or retouching, just a snap from my smart phone.

He would reach for me in the middle of the night, nearly every single night, wrapping one of those solid arms around my waist and pulling me in close. So. Close.
― Chelsie Shakespeare, The Pull

 

Below is the original photo used to create this image. Found this beautiful blooming tree on a walk through my neighborhood. No special lighting or retouching, just a snap from my smart phone.

People come, people go – they’ll drift in and out of your life, almost like characters in a favorite book. When you finally close the cover, the characters have told their story and you start up again with another book, complete with new characters and adventures. Then you find yourself focusing on the new ones, not the ones from the past.
― Nicholas Sparks, The Rescue

 

Below is the original photo used to create this image. Now that I’m working from home, this is a part of my new office view. No special lighting or retouching, just a snap from my smart phone.

My heart’s been torn wide open, just like I feared it would be, and I have no willpower to close it back up.
― Marie Lu, Champion

 

 

Below is the original photo used to create this image. These lovely lavender blooms were discovered on a lunchtime walk around the capital grounds in Richmond, VA. No special lighting or retouching, just a snap from my smart phone.

  

 

What is a friend if not someone you feel close to, someone you like being with, someone you can confide in and share pleasure with.
― Johanna Lindsey, A Loving Scoundrel

 

Below is the original photo used to create this image. These sweet roses were a gift for my birthday last year. No special lighting or retouching, just a snap from my smart phone.

Never miss an opportunity to show your love, especially to those close to you, because we are always at our most cautious with them for fear of being hurt.
―Paulo Coelho, Manuscript Found in Accra

 

Below is the original photo used to create this image. This is a royalty-free image from Pixabay.

I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can’t see from the center.
― Kurt Vonnegut, Player Piano

 

 

Below is the original photo used to create this image. These pretties were arranged in planters at a local outdoor mall. No special lighting or retouching, just a snap from my smart phone.