It all comes down to who's by your side...

A Walk to Remember
by Nicholas Sparks

read this guys. (if you haven't yet)
READ IT
i'm telling you guys
to read this book

it explained so much for me when i read it
i'm reading it again
for like the third time, and it seems to me like every time i read it, some other element of my life becomes clearer
something new makes more sense with each time that i read it
and my most favourite part
is when Landon goes to ask Jamie to the dance
when Jamie says that she'll go,
on one condition

here, let me extract from the book:

"Sure is a beautiful day," I said, stalling.
"Yes, it is."
"Warm, too."
"That's beacuse you're in the sun."
I looked around, feeling the pressure building. "Why, I'll bet there's not a single cloud in the whole sky."
This time Jamie didn't respond, and we sat in silence for a few moments.
"Landon," she finally said, "you didn't come to talk about the weather, did you?"
"Not really."
"Then why are you here?"
The moment of truth had arrived, and I cleared my throat.
"Well...I wanted to know if you were going to the homecoming dance."
"Oh," she said. Her tone made it seem as if she were unaware that such a thing existed. I fidgeted in my seat and waited for her answer.
"I really hadn't planned on going," she finally said.
"But if someone asked you to go, you might?"
It took a moment for her to answer.
"I'm not sure," she said, thinking carefully. "I suppose I might go, if I got the chance. I've never been to a homecoming dance before."
"They're fun," I said quickly. "Not too much fun, but fun."
Especially when compared to my other options, I didn't add.
She smiled at my turn of phrase. "I'd have to talk to my father, of course, but if he said it was okay, then I guess I could."
In the tree beside the porch, a bird started to chirp noisily, as if he knew I wasn't supposed to be here. I concentrated on the sound, tyring to calm my nerves. Just two days ago I couldn't have imagined myeslf even thinking about it, but suddenly there I was, listening to myself as I spoke the magic words.
"Well, would you like to go to the dance with me?"
I could tell she was surprised. I think she believed that the little lead-up to the question probably had to do with someone else asking her. Sometimes teenagers sent their friends out to "scout the terrain," so to speak, s oas not to face possible rejection. Even though Jamie wasn't much like other teenagers, I'm sure she was familiar with the concept, at least in theory.
Instead of answering right away, though, Jamie glanced away for a long moment. I got a sinking feeling in my stomach beacuse I assumed she was going to say no. Visions of my mother, puke, and Carey flooded through my mind, and all of a sudden I regretted the way I'd behaved towards her all these years. I kept remembering all the times I'd teased her or called her father a fornicator or simply made fun of her behind her back. Just when I was feeling awful about the whole thing and imagining how I would ever be able to avoid Carey for five hours, she turned and faced me again. She had a slight smile on her face.
"I'd love to," she finally said, "on one condition."
I steadied myself, hoping it wasn't somehting too awful.
"Yes?"
"you have to promie that you won't fall in love with me."
I knew she was kidding by the way she laughed, and I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Sometimes, I had to admit, Jamie had a pretty good sense of humour.
I smiled and gave her my word."

I love it.
How sweet and cute and sentimental is it?
He was scared to ask her =D
even though she was his last resort

I shan't spoil the story for you BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO READ IT, right?
but i do have somehting else so say about this book

Katrina recommended this book to me, at the perfect time
right when i needed a reason, an explanation, a definition, she happened to come up to me with this book
and told me to read it
no wait, actually she told me to find it and read it, and it also just happened that Weetyr had this book on his phone
which i spent a whole day reading
Then katrina lent me a copy of the book

man. from the first line
i was hooked
and i kept on reading
laughing and crying along the way

and the time in my life that Katrina came to me with this book
was a time last year
when i was questioning
WHAT IS LOVE?
i mean, think about it
noone can acutally define it to me
i asked so many people
i asked everyone from people at school, to people at home
people at church
close friends to influential teachers
they each came up wtih their own ideas of what love is to them
and
wow, did the answers vary depending on how close they are to me

BUT
as soon as i read this part in A Walk to Remember
my answer was found.
guys, this is the definition that Nicholas Sparks (GREAT GREAT man) wrote in his book,
which i believe, is also found in the Bible

"Love is always patient and kind. It is never jealous. Love is never boastful or conceited. It is never rude or selfish. It does not take offense and is not resentful. Love taks no pleasure in other people's sins, but delights in the truth. It is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes."
-Corinthians

My definition is slightly different, to match my life, and my experiences, but this is the core of my definition of love.
love is everywhere
and love has its varied strengths, depending on different instances

but yes.
and btw
the title is taken from the front cover of the copy of A Walk to Remember that I have
It all comes down to who's by your side
so true.

and i just hope that i don't lose those who are closest to me
=D
so guys, stay by my side and i'll stay by yours

Always and FOREVER