Everything that may tranquil a human heart is oft found in art — the written word that unarms, the song that serenades, the movie that moves like life itself…
And for everything else, there’s the dog. Thankfully!
Dusting through the attics, I came across Milan Kundera’s beloved book ‘The Unbearable Lightness of Being’ and was taken to the equally enchanting movie adaptation starring Juliette Binoche, Lena Olin (Mrs. Hallström), and Daniel Day-Lewis.
The Unbearable Lightness of Being a dog
It is a completely selfless love: Tereza did not want anything of Karenin (the dog); she did not ever ask him to love her back. Nor had she ever asked herself the questions that plague human couples:⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Does he love me?
Does he love anyone more than me?
Does he love me more than I love him?
Perhaps all the questions we ask of love, to measure, test, probe, and save it, have the additional effect of cutting it short. Perhaps the reason we are unable to love is that we yearn to be loved, that is, we demand something (love) from our partner instead of delivering ourselves up to him demand-free and asking for nothing but his company.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
— Milan Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Complement with The Big New Yorker Book of Dogs and Ruskin Bond, the writer with a wand that brings all things pristine to the pages – then revisit the beloved poems of Mary Oliver or relive the poetic genius of Bukowski. And if you are looking for words, look no further than this beautiful collection of untranslatable words from languages other than English.