“There are people who would never have fallen in love had they not heard speak of love."

- François La Rochefoucauld, Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales

“They have forbidden themselves from showing their emotions, and experience slowly comforted them in that decision. Disappointed by not finding anyone to listen, hurt by the lack of care and interest in the reaction of others, convinced that "pouring out" is immediately "to spread", they never let themselves talk about their feelings. They think that "people don’t have time to waste listening to their problems anyways", and find it more natural to be part of those who listen than part of the ones listened to.”

- Catherine Bensaïd, Aime-toi, la vie t’aimera

When I said I was falling for you, I hoped it would be in love, not in hell.

“My fear of being real, of being seen, paralyzes me into silence. I crave the touch and the connection, but I’m not always brave enough to open my hand and reach out. This is the great challenge: to be seen, accepted, and loved, I must first reveal, offer, and surrender.”

- Anna White, Mended: Thoughts on Life, Love and Leaps of Faith

“J'ai des morceaux de toi dans le cœur, dans l'âme et sur la peau. Quand d'autres ne laissent que le vide, de toi je garde tout, j'ai toujours tout gardé.”

- Unknown

(I have pieces of you in my heart, in my soul and on my skin. When some leave only emptiness behind, of you I keep everything, I’ve always kept everything.)

This loneliness…I’m learning to cherish it, as it is just another sign of the love I feel for you.

- R.S

I have decided to leave my heart behind now. Every time I tried to love and care less, it didn’t work. So now I’ve accepted the fact that, no matter what I would do, I would always have a little bit of my heart left behind.

- R.S

I mean, sure, you’ve hurt me. I was at my weakest state, I was young and naïve. I hung out to every word that came out of your mouth because I put you on a pedestal. You were older than me so I thought everything you said, everything you did it was probably right, you know? Because you had so much more experience than me. But then…when reality started to hit me in the face, I came back to my senses. I don’t know how I did it. I don’t know how I managed to come back to being a person outside of you, how I managed to realise that I was worth better. That my blood didn’t deserve to be spilled, and my tears didn’t deserve to be shed in your name. That my body was worth more than the touch of your hands on it. That I didn’t belong to you, instead I belonged deeply to myself. I don’t know how I did it, but I made it and I realised that the sky was blue before you and it would still be blue after you. So yeah, you’ve hurt me. There’s a part of me, a part of my story, that will always belong to you. But I’ve moved on.

- R.S, I’m worth better

I really do believe that there is a whole universe inside of all of us. I don’t know how to explain it. I’ve never felt particularly special, but my own individuality has always been dazzling to me.

- R.S

It sucks when even your best isn’t enough

I found myself a new interest in the floor lately. Tiles, concrete, vinyl, wood, grass…I always used to look up at the sky and have my head lost somewhere over there, in the clouds, held high…But lately, I found a new interest in the floor.

- R.S

"What saved you?"

"Love."

"A relationship?"

"No, love I found in myself. Love I found I still had the courage to give."

- R.S

I like your heart. I like how it beats: strong and surely. As if, with every beat, it was daring anyone to stop it from living.

- R.S

Please, don’t be afraid.

Experience life fully.

Feel with your whole heart.

- R.S

“Je n’ai qu’un instant. Je t’envoie l’éternité dans une minute, l’infini dans un mot, tout mon cœur dans: je t’aime.”

- Victor Hugo

(I only have a moment. I’m sending you eternity in a minute, infinity in a word, all my heart in: I love you.)

“You are worth finding. Worth knowing. Worth loving. You and your one million layers.”

- Unknown

“I felt things deeply, and often the profound unfairness of the world triggered a furious, poetic response from me.”

- Carmen Maria Machado, In the Dream House: A Memoir