For those familiar with the author Cheryl Strayed, you may already know that she has a new memoir Wild that was published this past March. What you may not know is that Ms. Strayed is also the anonymous (until recently) columnist for the “Dear Sugar” advice column on The Rumpus.net. “Dear Sugar” got her start in 2010, and quickly developed a following of readers who could identify with her no-nonsense, yet warm approach to dispensing advice. Sugar issues a wake up call to her readers in conjunction with terms of endearment such as “sweet pea” and “darling,” and in doing so hits at the core of human empathy. She feels for you, she really does, but that doesn’t mean that she is going to let you wallow or be paralyzed by fear of the unknown. Sugar doesn’t (pardon the expression) “sugar coat” it, and that is precisely why her readers love her. Not only does she acknowledge that life is impossibly hard at times, she truly understands the hardships and includes anecdotes of her own struggles in her responses. Sugar is the interactive “Dear Abby.”
You cannot convince people to love you. This is an absolute rule. No one will ever give you love because you want him or her to give it. Real love moves freely in both directions. Don’t waste your time on anything else.
Most things will be okay eventually, but not everything will be. Sometimes you’ll put up a good fight and lose. Sometimes you’ll hold on really hard and realize there is no choice but to let go. Acceptance is a small, quiet room.
Comments are closed.