Perhaps we were friends first and lovers second. But then perhaps this is what lovers are.
Interpretation
The quote suggests that deep friendship can be the foundation of romantic relationships.
Andr Aciman reflects on the nature of relationships, proposing that strong romantic connections often stem from a solid friendship. This interplay between friendship and love highlights the idea that true intimacy may develop from genuine understanding and companionship first, before evolving into a romantic relationship, suggesting that such a progression can strengthen the bond between partners.
In practice
I shared this quote during my wedding vows to emphasize our deep friendship.
As we walked, I began to wonder what the opposite of molting was and why, unlike the body, which sheds everything, the soul cannot let go but compiles and accumulates, growing annual rings around the things it wants and dreams and remembers
And on that evening when we grow older still we'll speak about these two young men as though they were two strangers we met on the train and whom we admire and want to help along. And we'll want to call it envy, because to call it regret would break our hearts.
Because of a great love, one is courageous.
YOU know, I may have to be born again, you see, I have fallen in love with mankind.
God will judge us not according to how much we endured, but how much we could love
I am the most well-known homosexual in the world.
There are two kind of men,' said Ka, in a didatic voice. 'The first kind does not fall in love until he's seen how the girls eats a sandwich, how she combs her hair, what sort of nonsense she cares about, why she's angry at her father, and what sort of stories people tell about her. The second type of man -- and I am in this category -- can fall in love with a woman only if he knows next to nothing about her.
Oh! My beloved! fill the cup, that clears to-day of past regrets and future fears.
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