So I finished the book and like I had predicted they fell in love and one of the characters died at the end. I'll admit I was thinking that Hazel was going to die instead of Augustus. What I got from it was not to be afraid of death or oblivion, which are both inevitable. There's a line in the book when Augustus is complaining about all the things he'll never get to do or never get to be and Hazel says, " This can never be enough for you. But this is all you get. You get me, and your family, and this world. This is your life. I'm sorry if it sucks." At first I thought it was a little tough on Augustus, especially when he had been so sick, but it was true. Augustus was clinging onto false hopes and he wasn't going to be able to do all of the memorable things he wanted to do, but he had people who cared and loved him. He couldn't see that because he was so bitter about dying. In some ways that translates to a lot of peoples lives. You think that you need to leave your mark, do something amazing, and many spend their whole life trying to obtain that. In reality time would be best spent doing what you love with people you love.
Going after your dreams is great. But there is a line that can be crossed. There comes a time when you have to realize that you don't owe the world anything and that chasing after impossible dreams are only going to bring you sadness. This part reminds me of "The Great Gatsby". How Gatsby was so stuck on obtaining the American Dream he never got to enjoy his life. That's an epidemic in America, getting so caught up in success, money, and power that you forget about the things that really matter, like spending time with your family and friends doing simple things you love. A lot of people think that these things will make them happy. I defiantly feel it, the need to succeed. Trying to get the perfect grades, so I can get into the perfect college, that will get me a perfect job, and then after all that I'll be happy. People are constantly waiting for the next bench mark in their life to be happy. The idea of sacrificing your happiness now so that later all your hard work will pay off. Augustus had a lot going for him, he had a family and girlfriend who loved him, but yet he still felt the need for more, that same feeling that many people feel. Hazel is an example of someone who knows what they have and is happy with it. She knew that she would live the rest of her life with cancer and even though that was difficult she didn't let that stop her from enjoying the things she did have.
I hope that I can learn to appreciate what I have and live in the moment. I defiantly get caught up in the future planning of how my life will be. It's like the book says, " Life's not a wish granting factory." You can't get everything you want and I have to keep reminding myself of that, that it's not going to be perfect, and that I'm going to have to adapt.
This underlying question kept popping into my mind while reading the book. How do they do it?They have cancer and still find happiness. Everyday wasn't the best, but they still had some great days. People always tell you seize the day, but how? Where do you start!? If it was that easy then everybody would be doing it. I'm not sure how, but Hazel and Augustus seized the day and took advantage of the time they had together.
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