I recently had the pleasure of reading Straight Uphill: A Tale of Love and Chocolate by Jess Wells. It was a story about a mother who had recently lost her son in a bus accident. After everything that’s happened, she decides to go to Italy, where she meets an old baker who has had the same experience that she does. It was a delightfully sweet tale filled with love, loss and hope. What’s more, Wells introduced the fragility of love, and just how powerful a relationship both you and your lover can experience, simply because you may not have that much time to spend with them.

Of course, love can take on many different forms. Whether it be loving yourself, or loving others, love is a broad term that can be used in almost any situation, as well as encompass a wide range of emotions that we may not even realize. Still, it’s because of this emotion, as well as its brevity, that we end up creating some of our best works. Many writers, from the troubadours and bards of the medieval age, to modern powerhouses like John Green and Stephenie Meyer, have understood that very concept. Despite how painful it may be, to leave something as a blossoming romance or a growing friendship behind; it’s simply too beautiful not to write about, because that’s exactly what it means to grow up.

Even then, we still take the time to reminisce about these experiences, whether or not they happened to us. After all, a writer’s life affects the way we write. While other life-changing decisions may get in the way, we somehow end up succumbing to nostalgia, to bittersweet memories, sometimes even a painful laugh or two. In fact, it’s this very thing that has led to some of the most iconic plots of all time. The mentor is there to guide the hero, pass down experiences and lessons they’ve learned in the past so that hopefully the hero doesn’t repeat the same mistakes. The love interest is scared they may lose their beloved to something else, so they simply decide not to make a move. A parent is reunited with an old flame, and has to decide whether or not to continue their trysts.

We’ve seen this over and over again in various movies and books. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet has captivated audiences with their powerful romance, despite their age and its short-lived play. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green talks about the romance between two teenagers, both of whom are stricken with cancer, both of which have had to support one another despite everything they’ve been through together. In Call Me by Your Name, the two male protagonists show that a brief, but loving romance is worth the heartbreak that may follow after. And I’ll have to admit, although it ripped my heart out to see these stories come to light, in the end, they were both excellent stories that caused readers to fall in love with them.

When we’re young, we’re taught that love is supposed to last forever. But even if it doesn’t, it’s still just as beautiful. Because, after all, while the ending may be bittersweet, it still stays with us for years to come.