Jojo Moyes' bestselling book, "Me Before You" has recently been turned into a very popular movie, and understandably so. It's beautiful love story and charming British wit leave anyone's who's read it feeling sappy, giddy and probably slightly depressed. Aside from the whirlwind of mixed emotions that both the novel and the movie evoke, there's something deeper there, as there is with any novel. However, I feel it necessary to justify this one specifically due to it's mushy genre. We are reminded of lessons that we often forget because they are so mundane in our world today. Moyes' novel refreshes our memory on a few very important life lessons.
1. Life is short.
You've heard it time and time again, but seeing the fun-loving, successful and adventurous Will Traynor being confined to a wheelchair before the age of 20 suddenly makes this commonplace phrase so real. The truth is, you don't know what will happen a few years from now or tomorrow or even within the next couple minutes. Life is short and unpredictable, so do absolutely everything you can to make the most of it; live in the moment.
2. Be yourself.
So maybe Louisa Clark is a little out there, but she certainly isn't ashamed of it. She always wears her heart on her sleeve, never leaving any bit of her feelings to question. Her chatty personality and unique sense of style are certainly a lot to take in, but she never changes herself for anyone. Despite Louisa's financial struggles and past personal problems, she is shamelessly herself, and by doing so, landed herself a good job and a love story.
3. Never settle.
Before realizing that Will was the one for her, Louisa was long-term boyfriend, Patrick. There was nothing significantly wrong with Louisa and Patrick's relationship: he didn't cheat on her, hit her, or even yell at her. Some might have even considered him sweet. But he didn't always put Louisa first, didn't always listen to her, didn't always fully understand her. Louisa wasn't totally unhappy with Patrick, she was just much happier with Will; even though the latter ended in extreme sadness, Louisa learned from that experience and grew more as a person in six months than she had with Patrick in seven years. Be passionate and hold yourself in high enough esteem to know that you deserve the absolute best and to be your absolute happiest.
4. Family comes first.
Throughout the course of the novel, it was evident that Louisa's family faced never-ending financial struggles. Louisa made sure that she always gave as much as she could to them; once she had gotten her job with the Traynor's, despite her initial hatred of Will and the position, she stuck with it because it was good money that she knew her family needed. She slept in the box room for years just so that her sister and her son could be more comfortable. Louisa made endless sacrifices for her family so that they could live as happily and easily as possible.
5. Keep on keeping on.
Even after the tragedy, Louisa managed to continue living her life. Not only that, but she actually sought to improve her life. She rekindled her desire for adventure and travel. Everyone faces heartbreak, tragedy and other obstacles throughout their lives, but it is how we handle these situations that determine the outcome. Louisa, we should all try to face our struggles head on and do our best to overcome them.
