Letter to Augustus Waters (fictional character) from The Fault in Our Stars

Dear Augustus Waters,

I have grown up watching ‘happily ever after’ all the time. It lead me to believe that two people end up happy only when they get married and spend the rest of their lives together.

Romance was often filled with cheesiness and excessive flirting. It lead me to believe that my prince charming would come on a white horse and bring the stars down to earth for me if I wished for them. I believed in the concept of the knight in shining armour.

Movies showed that the male lead could fight with 100 people on one side and still win the fight, thus impressing the girl.

And then, you came along and changed all of that.

With that killer smile of yours, I realised, heros aren’t always six-pack abs guys who are fighting the bad guys. Sometimes, they are ordinary guys fighting cancer.

Sometimes cheesiness is stating a fact as small as – you’re beautiful, I like looking at you. It is often being honest and truthful about your feelings for another person. Also, that all prince charming do not come in a white horse, but are sometimes found in support groups or at ordinary places.

Winning a girl’s heart shouldn’t necessarily be only beating up the bad guys. It is also helping her fight her insecurities, fears, demons and negativity and growing together in the process.

I realise that ‘happily ever after’ meant different things to different people. It is not necessary to end up marrying the other. Life sometimes stops abruptly, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a great love story.

Thank you for beautifying pain, loss, heartbreak and death. Thank you for letting me feel the real, raw love.

Like a lot of us, you wanted to do something great and be remembered forever, but then, you learnt that being remembered by our loved ones forever by being there for them is a even bigger achievement. We all learnt that lesson alongside.

You taught us an important lesson in friendship by being there for Issac when he broke up with his girlfriend and by sharing your last wish with Hazel.

While on the trip to meet Peter Van Houten, we understand that some people who are praise worthy in their fields may turn out to be a**holes in real life.

Towards the end, I realise that some infinities are indeed bigger than other infinities, but that doesn’t mean your little infinity didn’t count. It counted a hell lot. Sometimes, we have to be grateful to have lived our little infinity to the fullest.

I learnt that pain demands to be felt.

I know that, love is keeping the promise anyway. I learnt that some love stories are incomplete and they are beautiful that way.

I cried when you died. It broke my heart. But you know what Augustus? It was a privilege to have my heart broken by you.

You taught me what real love is. You taught to never be afraid of confessing your love and feelings.

Thank you for breaking my heart so beautifully – I never thought it was possible. It was the first time I appreciated a sad ending and fell in love with it.

Lastly, I know that the universe is not a wish granting factory, but sometimes, wishes do come true and the universe grants them in the most amazing ways.

Thank you Augustus. You have been the best. You will be remembered, forever.

Okay? Okay.

With love,

Your fangirl.

#TheFaultInOutStars #Augustus