Take any emotionlove for a woman, or grief for a loved one, or what Im going through, fear and pain from a deadly illness. If you hold back on the emotionsif you dont allow yourself to go all the way through themyou can never get to being detached, youre too busy being afraid. Youre afraid of the pain, youre afraid of the grief. Youre afraid of the vulnerability that loving entails. But by throwing yourself into these emotions, by allowing yourself to dive in, all the way, over your head even, you experience them fully and completely. You know what pain is. You know what love is. You know what grief is. And only then can you say, All right. I have experienced that emotion. I recognize that emotion. Now I need to detach from that emotion for a moment.

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom