Rainbows, Puppies, Kittens, and Happiness

[raeschae]

Alright, so I know a lot of people on my flist have been having a rough time lately. For so many reasons, life seems to be kicking people in the teeth left and right and it doesn't seem like any of the people I love are immune to it. So I was trying to think of something encouraging and - sit down, this might shock you - I decided to pull some quotes from some of my favorite books. The ones I've chosen are all YA, but they all transport me immediately to a place where it feels like I'm going to be okay. I hope that some of them work for you, if you need it.




The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chobsky (possibly the greatest YA novel of all time, imo)
"We accept the love we think we deserve."

"So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be."

"It's just that I don't want to be somebody's crush. If somebody likes me, I want them to like the real me, not what they think I am. And I don't want them to carry it around inside. I want them to show me, so I can feel it too."

"Please believe that things are good with me, and even when they're not, they will be soon enough. And I will always believe the same about you."

"I just need to know that someone out there listens and understands and doesn't try to sleep with someone even if they could have. I need to know these people exist."

"I'm going to do what I want to do. I'm going to be who I really am. And I'm going to figure out what that is. And we could all sit around and wonder and feel bad about each other and blame a lot of people for what they did or didn't do or what they didn't know. I don't know. I guess there could always be someone to blame. It's just different. Maybe it's good to put things in perspective, but sometimes, I think that the only perspective is to really be there. Because it's okay to feel things. I was really there. And that was enough to make me feel infinite. I feel infinite."

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
"Maybe there's something you're afraid to say, or someone you're afraid to love, or somewhere you're afraid to go. It's gonna hurt. It's gonna hurt because it matters."

"NO. No no no. I don't want to screw you. I just love you. When did who you want to screw become the whole game? Since when is the person you want to screw the only person you get to love? It's so stupid, Tiny! I mean, Jesus, who even gives a fuck about sex?! People act like it's the most important thing humans do, but come on. How can our sentient fucking lives revolve around something slugs can do. I mean, who you want to screw and whether you screw them? Those are important questions, I guess. But they're not that important. You know what's important? Who would you die for? Who do you wake up at five forty-five in the morning for even though you don't even know why he needs you?"

"I feel like my life is so scattered right now. Like it's all the small pieces of paper and someone's turned on the fan. But, talking to you makes me feel like the fan's been turned off for a little bit. Like things could actually make sense. You completely unscatter me, and I appreciate that so much."

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn
"I'm thinking I would like to dance in the rain with this person. I would like to lie next to him in the dark and watch him breathe and watch him sleep and wonder what he's dreaming about and not get an inferiority complex if the dreams aren't about me."

"I kiss her and she finds the light switch and turns it off, and we're just lit in Pepsi-can colors and it's like we've finally found this other kind of conversation, this conversation in gestures and pulls and pushes and breaths and grasps and teases and glimmers and rubs and expectation."

"Some spray-painted graffiti on the wall asks, Is it nothing to you all who pass by? Lamentations 1:12 and I think, No, Lord, whoever the hell You are, this is not nothing to me. This counts."

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
"Now, I don't believe in doing hugs halfway. I can't stand people who try to hug without touching. A hug should be a full embrace - as I wrap my arms around Tony, I am not just holding him, but also trying to lift off his troubles for a moment so that the only thing he can feel is my presence, my support."



This is by no means comprehensive; they're just my go-to feel-good selections. They probably aren't yours, so please share your favorite happy-making things! Songs, movie quotes, television quotes, book selections, videos - whatever makes you smile! And if you're one of those people who are struggling right now, I hope you can find something here that makes you smile today. I love you guys!

Comments

[wendy.livejournal.com]

♥ ♥ ♥

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

♥ ♥ ♥ right back atcha!!!

[taintedlove.livejournal.com]

I wanna wrap you up in my love. ♥

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

I'll take it! ♥ x a billionty, sweetie!!!

[wutendeskind.livejournal.com]

Boy Meets Boy is, like, everything happy in the WORLD. I just put Will Grayson, Will Grayson on my Kindle and I'm really excited to read it. I'm a huge John Green fangirl and I loved Boy Meets Boy, so when I found out they were doing a book together, I squeed.

I also recommend:

+ Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block -- THE COLORS, RAE. THE COLORS. It's one of my favorite books of all time. I know that it's one of those books you either love or hate, but I think it's so perfect. And sex/sexual expression positive! And it's only like 88 pages, so if anyone hasn't read it, I recommend it, because if you do end up hating it, it wasn't like it took up a lot of time.

+ Anything by John Green, but I think Paper Towns is the best place to start.

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

Oh, Olivia! You <3 is beating in sync with mine! Will Grayson, Will Grayson made me cry real tears - I listened to the audio while driving home from my parents' house at Thanksgiving and I FELL IN LOVE, OKAY? John Green writes one Will Grayson and David Levithan wrote the other and it meshes into a thing of ridiculous beauty!

Weetzie Bat is a beautiful book, but it made me feel dumb when I finished it the first time because I DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON AT ALL. I had to re-read it to understand, but now I'd rec it to anyone, for reals. :D

Paper Towns! Oh, John Greene. Looking for Alaska. An Abundance of Katherines. SO MUCH BRILLIANCE!!! Though, some day we're going to have to discuss Paper Towns because I adore that book so much but I desperately want to know if anyone holds my opinions of the ending.

[batman-mcghee.livejournal.com]

This was so needed. I feel like I can relate to each one.

There was one, though, that made me think of Jared: ""Now, I don't believe in doing hugs halfway. I can't stand people who try to hug without touching. A hug should be a full embrace - as I wrap my arms around Tony, I am not just holding him, but also trying to lift off his troubles for a moment so that the only thing he can feel is my presence, my support."

He's a hugger!!

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm so glad that it helped!

And I agree - it's a very Jared-esque quote. :D

[kubis.livejournal.com]

They made me smile. Thank you! :D

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

Thank YOU! If you smiled, then it served its purpose. :D

[comet91.livejournal.com]

"I feel like my life is so scattered right now. Like it's all the small pieces of paper and someone's turned on the fan. But, talking to you makes me feel like the fan's been turned off for a little bit. Like things could actually make sense. You completely unscatter me, and I appreciate that so much."

I love this one <3

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

Oh, I love that one, too!!!

[ldyghst.livejournal.com]

Thanks *hugs*

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

You're so welcome!

[muzivitch.livejournal.com]

Thanks for this; this entire year so far has kind of been a personal rollercoaster. And it's only April. I just keep telling myself that eventually balance will have to be restored. :)

When I'm at work and having an absolutely hideous day, sometimes nothing else will do but Kittens on a Roomba (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTxW3GWZ5hI"). It's like fluffy adorable meditation.

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

OMG, that is ADORABLE. Do you think that one at the end is like 'YES, KING OF THE MOUNTAIN!'

My year's kind of been like that, too - I hope it gets better for you, bb!!

[jesseofthenorth.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for putting this out there today. I know I am not the only one who needed something happier, but I really needed this. These have not been great days. Not terrible but not happy days either. You made me smile a little and reminded of a book i said i would read. And reminded me that even when I isolate myself I'm not the only person who feels like this some days.

So thanks for that :)

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

Oh, it makes me so happy to know that it worked for you! I hate that you have to go through whatever you're going through - grouchy and sad days are just as bad as flat-out bad ones IMO - but I'm glad that I could help, even a little.

[bornof-sorrow.livejournal.com]

Oh, these are lovely, I particularly liked the hugs one. One of my "go to" things is Rhett Butler - I adore the way he adores her, so real and ruined and fucked up but HE ADORES HER and everything is screwed and the world is ending, but all he really needs is to know she exists. *sigh*

The film "My Beautiful Laundrette" is another thing I love and which unfailingly cheers me up, as does the vulgar but visceral love poetry of John Donne, the delight in life of Rachel Gibson's romance novels (sue me) and the sheer cheese of "While You Were Sleeping", anything Fred & Ginger and The Way We Were - Streisand and Redford, tragic but beautiful.

OMG - I've turned into my mum.

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

I think you've turned into my mom, which freaks me out more, quite frankly. :D But I love my mom, so that's a good thing!

[bornof-sorrow.livejournal.com]

me too - in my defence my mum DID make me watch a lot of things with her and they are hard to shake off. Hahaha- so old, sheesh :)

[imaginethehappy.livejournal.com]

♥ ♥

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

♥ always, bb!

[mutzelpuste.livejournal.com]

Thank you for those beautiful quotes. I feel like I needed every one of them *sigh*

My 'good feelings all around'-thing is this video by Loki called 'Mouthwash' (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe84pu5_AGo ).
I makes me smile every time. *hugs*

[raeschae.livejournal.com]

I'm right there with ya - I love everything secretlytodream vids! Amazing.

[neutraldeviance.livejournal.com]

Personally...well, when I'm having a bad day or a difficult time dealing with something...you know what I do?

I watch Sister Act and Sister Act2: Back in the Habit.

I know...you're probably like "WTF?!?!" but...I just LOVE those movies! Their uplifting, feel-good, purposeful and (in my opinion GENIUS)...and it just lifts me up everytime I watch them.

And I'm sorry so many people are going through rough times. Consider yourself and your F-List on my prayers list (well..you are always on my prayers list, but I'll be sure to add your f-list next time!)

[plasticine-star.livejournal.com]

I've been trying to comment on this post forever. *kicks LJ for being wonky*

I loved these quotes, since I haven't read the books they where completely new to me. I printed them out to add them to my notebook. I have this notebook where I keep random stuff that inspires/makes me happy and this whole post was perfect for it. ;D

[wordplaaying.livejournal.com]

Thanks for this! 2011 has really been a sucky year so far for me, but is there one thing i turn to when things are getting tough, its to quotes! They fan really change a mood and day, so thanks for this. :)

W