Page 75 - LiveOnProjectlori with front cover

The Live-On Project

You say this is not puppy love. If you feel so deeply — of course it isn’t
puppy love.
But I don’t think you were asking me what you feel. You know better
than anyone. What you wanted me to help you with is what to do about
it — and that I can tell you.
Glory in it for one thing and be very glad and grateful for it.
The object of love is the best and most beautiful. Try to live up to it.

If you love someone — there is no possible harm in saying so — only you
must remember that some people are very shy and sometimes the saying
must take that shyness into consideration.
Girls have a way of knowing or feeling what you feel, but they usually
like to hear it also.
It sometimes happens that what you feel is not returned for one reason
or another — but that does not make your feeling less valuable and
good.
Lastly, I know your feeling because I have it and I’m glad you have it.
We will be glad to meet Susan. She will be very welcome. But Elaine will
make all such arrangements because that is her province and she will be
very glad to. She knows about love too and maybe she can give you more
help than I can.
And don’t worry about losing. If it is right, it happens — The main thing
is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away.
Love,
Fa

-John Steinbeck to his teenage son about girls. 1958
Maria Popova (January 13, 2012) John Steinbeck on Falling in Love: A
1958 Letter. [Blog Post]. Retrieved from
https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/01/john-
steinbeck-on-falling-in-love-a-1958-letter/251375/

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