I know very little about life. But if I may offer any wisdom, it is that people don't belong to each other. The notion of calling a person "mine" is absurd at best, and dangerous at its worst. We can belong to God, to knowledge, to community, to success, to art; but to belong to any one person gives too much credit to the one in possession. Who are we to think that anyone belongs to us? Those who matter to us cannot be had or owned, but only graciously loaned.

Possession breeds avarice. It is not romantic -- it is ugly. Perhaps we should aspire to hold love dearly, but with free generosity. And beauty and lightness will follow.