I read It Happens Every Day this week (thank you, Hadley), and found it a moving story about the vagaries of the human heart, the need to be true to oneself, and the ways life can change in an instant. The author makes it clear that we can never truly know those who are closest to us, nor can we anticipate the ways in which their shifting perspectives will change our lives. It’s a quick read, informally and conversationally written, and I found it very touching. Gillies writes about life being “so complicated and subtle” and about people being “so different and complex and incomprehensible.” All themes I have ruminated a lot on, especially of late.
The story made me think about who we truly let in to our hearts, who we give access to, who we remain open to, and what risks we take with each of those choices. About how life is a series of forks on the road, only some of which we control. About what trust is, and what honesty is, and what following your heart is. It Happens Every Day is scary and reassuring, relatable, and brutally honest. Which puts it, I would posit, among the best of memoirs.
One passage stuck with me:
I believe in love. I believe in hard times and love winning. I believe marriage is hard. I believe people make mistakes. I believe people can want two things at once. I believe people are selfish and generous at the same time. I believe very few people want to hurt others. I believe that you can be surprised by life. I believe in happy endings.