by Amy Lawson, MBA, CDFA®, RTT Practitioner®, C.Hyp
I recently read “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” by V.E. Schwab.
The main character, Addie LaRue, lives in a small village in the French countryside in the late 1600s.
Because she is poor and female, Addie’s prospects are bleak – in short, marriage is her best option because, in the eyes of the church and society, it is, at least, honorable. Love plays no part in the choosing of a husband; Addie’s choice is limited to who approaches her father for her hand. The best Addie can hope for in a husband is that he will be able to provide food and shelter, that their children will live past the tender age of five, and that he will be kind, enough.
On the evening of her wedding, as the village gathers for the ceremony, Addie flees. She runs deep into the woods near her home and out of sheer desperation cries out to the gods for help, ignoring the advice of her only friend (the eccentric old woman who lives alone in those woods), “Never pray to the gods that answer after dark.”
A Deal With A Demon
As her friend predicted, it is not a benevolent deity who answers Addie’s plea, but Luc, the alluring yet devious demon, ready to pounce on the opportunity to claim a kind but hopeless soul ripe for the taking.
Addie’s wish is simple. She longs to have a life outside of the limited existence of her village, a life where she gets to choose her path, right or wrong, good or bad. Addie only wants the chance to LIVE.
Luc agrees to grant Addie her wish, cleverly disguising his devilish terms. Addie LaRue gets to live, but she MUST live FOREVER. An eternity of choices seemed like a wonderful thing to someone who had very few, and Addie readily agreed to Luc’s proposal.
As the words of acceptance parted Addie’s lips, in true Faustian fashion, Luc delivered the most important, yet shrewdly omitted term: “Oh, by the way, you will live forever but NO ONE will remember you.”
The Moral of the Story
I don’t want to give away too much of this incredible tale because to do so would cheat you out of the opportunity to enjoy the author’s wonderful turn of phrase. But I will share this: While no one remembered Addie’s face or her name, she impacted the lives of the countless people she encountered as she navigated life.
And, so do you.
The Impact of Words
Every word, kind or cruel impacts someone’s life, as does every glance, smile, or frown – be it family, friends, foes, or the person who stocks the produce at the grocery store.
When we’re dealing with something painful, it’s easy to lash out at or even ignore those around us, forgetting the impact our words and deeds have on others.
My friends, we leave our mark on the world whether we intend to or not, so make sure it’s a good one.
By the way, if you have been negatively impacted by the words or deeds of others, you’re not alone. I’ve been there, not only did I survive it, but I thrive despite it. You can, too. I’m here, just reach out. Here’s a link to my calendar: https://calendly.com/hello-rtt/30-minute-breakthrough-session
Wishing you peace & plenty of positive impressions!
Your gray girlfriend,
About the Author
