Dear reader,

For several weeks now, I've been trying to figure out the best remedy for heartbreak. Some turn to watching an endless stream of philosophical films that alter their perspective on the world. Others invest as much time as possible with their close friends. One thing is certain: you don't need to run away from the sorrow.

When you've been together with someone for an extended period and unexpectedly part ways, you must completely detach yourself from the other person. Initially, loneliness takes over, but over time, you quickly realize that there are constantly loving people around you who take a small piece of the grief upon themselves, mainly to ease the pain.

English philosopher, poet, and activist Edward Carpenter believed that the greatest loves can only endure for a while. The various time scales of love are elastic; they contract and expand, with immense depth and breadth. However, they are finite, like books, human lives, and the universe itself. "The triumph of love lies in the courage and integrity with which we inhabit the supernatural transience that binds two individuals for a time," says Carpenter, "before releasing them with equal courage and integrity."

Love, even its most painful and frustrating aspects, teaches us a great deal about the world and ourselves. Heartbreak, like other things, will eventually come to an end. Before you know it, you'll look back on it with much knowledge and wisdom.

With love, Stefanie Gordin
Editor Hard//hoofd
Hard//hoofd Newsletter, July 17, 2022