h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I just finished reading that book by Timothy Findley. A fine writer if I say so. Also read "What the Body Remembers" by Shauna Singh Baldwin. Another fine writer. I now just finished reading "Loving Each Other - The Challenge of Human Relationships" by Leo Buscaglia. I should have read that last one a long time ago. Well you know what they say, "Better late than never." (Again who the heck are "THEY"?)

Ready for a quote? Too bad Here it goes.

"Perhaps we must finally accept the fact that we can never possess another human being. A decision to unite is an agreement between two separate units, which will always, in a sense, be separate. We must learn that loving others is to want them to be themselves - painful as it may be - with or without you. After all is said and done, what else can we do but wish them well? If a friend or loved one wants to go, eve if we devise a hundred ways to try to hold on, we will never be successful. And how little we value ourselves when we manipulate someone in order to keep them, when they would rather be elsewhere. We are better without those individuals in our lives." L. Buscaglia.

What do you think? I disagree somewhat with the last statement. I think that it depends one how that individual leaves or has otherwise treated you. It's hard to accept that someone doesn't want you. But once that acceptance is there often a relationship can still function if only on a different level. That's what I think anyway.

Well, in my experience, the stronger you grasp to someone who wants the leave the more urgently they'll be leaving.

You can't _make_ them stay, unless you want to resort to some rather illegal options. The best you can do is let them go with enough good will to keep them wanting to at least stay near.

That's in my experience, and in my opinion, of course.