Sunday, February 20, 2011

Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult

Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult

As per Jodi Picoult’s style, this is a controversial novel about a picture perfect couple, to the outside world. Behind closed doors, Alex Rivers, a famous actor, abuses his wife Cassie Barrett, a renowned anthropologist.

I won’t go too much into detail here, except to say that Picoult handled this subject very well, but it’s hard for me to enjoy it because of the subject matter.

I get it, I do. It’s hard to leave someone you love. It’s harder to leave when you have no outside support, and most abused women don’t because their husbands try to alienate them from their friends and support systems. I’ve been there too, in a “less abusive” relationship. Physical abuse is easy to quantify, but how do you know when you’re in an emotionally abusive relationship?

To me, I guess it’s about happiness. Are you happy with him or crying all the time? It’s never been about how much you love each other. We all know that sometimes even though you love someone, it doesn’t mean that you should be together.

I decided that love isn’t what makes the world go round, happiness is. Love doesn’t always bring happiness, but happiness always brings love.

I was in a very unhealthy relationship and I was hurt and crying all the time. I couldn’t leave because I had no friends and no support system, I felt dependant on him, but the thing is, I *always* knew I had to leave. He’s really not a bad guy, he’s too simple to know that he hurt me, to be perfectly honest, and again, it’s emotional abuse, he never laid a hand on me. He loved me and I loved him, but I always knew we weren’t good for each other. I left when I could.

So I do get it. Kind of. I just wish more people would realize that love doesn’t make the world go round. Love doesn’t mean you should be together. Stop looking for love and start looking for happiness. Happiness will bring you love, not the other way round.

I found my happiness and my love. I hope others do too.

 

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