In "the Truth About Forever"(by Sarah Dessen) Macy (the main character) has been pushing away her feelings and hiding her pain since her dad died. Ever since she got a new job at a catering business she has been letting go more. When her sister comes home with a plan to fix up her dads beach house Macy and her mom are unsure because they don't want to remember the past. Although Wes helped Macy probably the most when it came to coming out and finding herself her sister Caroline gave the best lessons on living your life. "'I know,' Caroline said. 'I understand how hard it has been for you. For both of you.'
'I don't think you do.' My mom put her hand on her water glass but didn't pick it up or take a sip. 'Otherwise you would understand that this isn't something I want to talk about right now.'
Mt sister sat back in her chair, twisting her wedding ring around her finger. 'Mom,' she said finally, 'I'm not trying to upset you. I'm just saying that it's been a year and a half. . . and maybe it's time to move on. Dad would have wanted you to be happier than this. I know it.'
'I thought this was about the beach house,' my mother said stiffly.
'It is,' Caroline said. 'But it's also about living. You can't hide behind work forever, you know. I mean, when was the last time you and Macy took a vacation or did something nice for yourselves?'
'I was at the coast just a couple of weeks ago.'
'For work, Caroline said. 'You work late into the night, you get up early in the morning, you don't do anything but think about the development. Macy never goes out with friends, she spends all her time holed up studying, and she's not going to be seventeen forever--'
'I'm fine,' I said.
My sister looked at me, her face softening. 'I know you are,' she said. 'But i just feel like your missing out on something you won't be able to get back later.'"(108-109) I think that this conversation meant that you need to express yourself and live life while you can, and not be held back by anyone else or your past.
As the book goes on she starts to live a little. She goes out with friends and actually has life. She lets loose and lets people in. She lets go and starts to show what she's feeling. Her mom on the other hand doesn't do as well. The fact that Macy is hanging out so much is putting her mom on edge and when Macy comes home late her mom bans her from seeing them again or work at her catering job anymore. Caroline was happy for Macy and wasn't happy and one final call set her off in trying to convince her mother even more to just stop. "'Caroline, you have to understand,' my mother told her. 'This is important.'
'No!' my sister screamed, the word suddenly just filling the room. 'This is work, and for you, it's never done. You promised me we'd take this vacation, and I've killed myself getting ready on time so we could have this weekend together as a family. You said you'd be done, but you're never done. All this summer it's been about these stupid townhouses, and two days after they open, you're breaking ground for something else? God! You'll do anything to avoid it.'
'Avoid what?' my mother said.
'The past,' Caroline said. 'Our past. I'm tired of acting like nothing ever happened, of pretending he was never here, of not seeing his pictures in the house, or his things. Just because you're not able to let yourself grieve.'
'Don't,' mt mother said, her voice low, 'talk to me about grief. You have no idea.'
'I do, though.' Caroline's voice caught, and she swallowed. 'I'm not trying to hide that I'm sad. I'm not trying to forget. You hide here behind all these plans for houses and townhouses because they're new and perfect and don't remind you of anything.'
'Stop it,' my mother said.
'And look at Macy,' Caroline continued, ignoring this. 'Do you even know what you're doing to her?'
My mother looked at me, and i shrank back, trying to stay out of this. 'Macy's fine,' my mother said.
'No, she's not. God you always say that, but she's not.' Caroline looked at me, as if she wanted me to jump in, but I just sat there. 'Have you even been paying the least bit of attention to what's going on with her? She's been miserable since Dad died, pushing herself so hard to please you. And then, this summer, she finally finds some friends and something she likes to do. But then one tiny slipup, and you take it all away from her.'
'That has nothing to do with what we're talking about,' my mother said.
'It has everything to do with it,' Caroline shot back. 'She's was finally getting over what happened. Couldn't you see the change in her? I could, and I was barely here. She was different.'
'Exactly.' my mother said. 'She was--'
'Happy,' Caroline finished for her. 'She was starting to live her life again, and it scared you. Just like me redoing the beach house scared you. You think you're so strong because you never talk about Dad. Anyone can hide. Facing up to things, working through them, that's what makes you strong.'
'I've given everything I have to support this family,' my mother replied, biting off the words. 'And for you it's still not enough.'
'I'm not asking for everything you have.' Caroline put her hands to hr face, breathing in, then lowered them. 'I'm asking you to allow me, and Macy, and especially yourself to remember Dad--'
My mother exhaled loudly, shaking her head.
'--and I'm asking you for one week of your time to begin doing it.' Caroline looked at me, then back at my mother. 'That's it.'(326-328) This proved that Macy was getting better but her mom wasn't doing as good. I the end Macy learned just like the quote "learn to accept the things you cannot change and change the things you cannot accept". This is exactly what she learned. She learned to accept that her father was gone, and life continues, and she went outside herself to stop Wes from leaving and finally being together. As for her mom she came around and the book ends with all of them down at the beach house.
