-Anton Chekhov, “The Lady with the Dog”
“𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲.”
-𝐅𝐲𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐞𝐯𝐬𝐤𝐲, 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
I still remember the moment I looked back and stared as you walked away that December night.
It had been 3am. Neither of us wanted to part, but our flights were in a few hours. You had told me go first. You didn’t want me to see you leave. But I did pause by the stairs and I did turn around and I did watch you leave. And I will never forget the sight of your back walking back down the street.
Do you remember how you saved your stickers for the perfect spot to stick them? Do you remember how seriously you waited—how important this decision was?
Why do you not do the same thing with your heart? Why do you give your heart out so easily when you saved your stickers for perfection?