The Secret of Life
I have a question for you Dear Readers, what do you think the secret of life is?
I have heard many different ideas about what the secret of life is. For example, Mr. Matthews from Girl Meets World says that the secret of life is “People change people.” I agree with this! I totally think that we are all influenced by the different people that walk in and out of our lives. It is up to us to take those interactions and learn from them, and that means the good and the bad.
Another secret of life I learned was from Nicholas Sparks. Now I know what you are all thinking and…yes I am a huge Nicholas Sparks fan and for many reasons.
1) He tells a wonderful love story both sad and happy
2) His writing is real and some are even based on real people’s lives
3) He makes you realize that love is found in the craziest places
My favorite book and movie of his is The Choice.
The Choice is about two neighbors who start off on the wrong foot, and through their stubbornness and flirtations, they find that they are meant to be together and chose to fight for love.
Now really quick, Emily last week said she does not believe in “soulmates” and I do agree with her in a way. I believe that God created the perfect someone for everyone. When you find that someone you must consistently choose to love them and fight for the relationship you want. If you are not willing to put work and effort into a relationship there is no way one can last. Travis chose Gabby and she chose him.
Meet Travis! He is our tall dark and handsome male lead, and let me tell you he is a charmer. Even though Travis is flirty with the ladies he is quite the loner because in his heart he knows that he has not found “the one.” Travis has never had to work for any kind of relationship with a woman… that is until his neighbor Gabby came stomping into his life.
Here is Gabby, I know beautiful right! Gabby is a med student with a loving personality, but at times can be headstrong. When she first met Travis, she had every intention of telling him what was on her mind and not letting him win. She was successful, but she couldn’t keep Travis away for too long.
Woof! That is probably my favorite “meet cute” because that is the most realistic interaction in a movie. Now before I get ahead of myself this movie is all about choices and how each choice can lead to life-altering events, and I am going to point out a couple of main ones in the movie.
1. Taking a chance at an opportunity
A few minutes after that clip Travis goes back inside where his sister, Steph, is raiding his icebox and she can tell instantly that Travis is twitterpated and she proceeds to say “Uh-oh.” Travis denies his infatuation because she bothers him and there is no way that he can like her. Later in the movie, Steph takes about how Travis needs to seize the opportunity that is in front of him because if he doesn’t, he will regret it. Travis is a bit hesitant because at this time Gabby is dating someone else. After a few more interactions Travis invites Gabby to hang out with his friends and takes the moment to start bonding with her.
My favorite part is that Gabby still continues to make Travis work hard for her affection. That is what I admire about Gabby is that she is a strong-willed woman, but she still loves the attention Travis gives her.
Disclaimer: Just to be clear Gabby is still dating another man at this time and yes that is “cheating” in a way, but if there is no ring or some sign of commitment then you are free to make your own choices and find the one you are truly supposed to be with. I hope that doesn’t make you think less of me but it is true…if it is “yours” make sure you claim it.
2. Choosing Love
As I said, Gabby was still dating Ryan at the time and she was so caught up with her butterfly feelings with Travis that she was caught off guard when Ryan came home early. She met Ryan and his family for dinner when she bumped into Travis:
Travis was all in! His choice was her all along and he was fully ready to face Ryan and all the consequences right by her side, but she was unsure of the choice she needed to make, and once Travis saw her hesitation he left without another word. When Travis left Gabby went immediately back into the bar and told Ryan everything. They got into a fight and he left, but the next day he came back and proposed. At first Gabby said yes, but only because she thought Travis went back to his ex, but it was a misunderstanding. The moment Travis truly knew that he was in love with Gabby and he got in his truck and chased after her.
Even while proposing they both find some way to be stubborn, but in the end, they both chose each other.
3. Faith and Hope
Now, of course, this is a Nicholas Sparks book so there have to be some terribly sad elements involved and trust me this one is no walk in the park. We fast forward after the wedding about seven or eight years, Gabby and Travis are happily married with two kids. One night Travis was supposed to meet up with Gabby for dinner but got held up at work and did not make it. Gabby was headed home in a major rainstorm and was t-boned on the driver’s side and had to be put on life support. This was the biggest choice Travis had to make in the whole movie; keep Gabby on life support after 90 days, or respect her wishes and let her go. Travis did not end up terminating life support because he had faith that his wife would recover and they would live out the rest of their lives together. Luckily for him, that decision paid off:
UGH! Nicholas, I have a lot of respect for you man, you know how to really hit those heartstrings. Travis and Gabby are my favorite couple out of all the books because I felt I relate to them better than any other couple. They taught me that love does not come easy, but when you work hard and make the decision to love every day it is rewarding. True love conquers all!
Until then,
Peace out Lovers!
