“The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds. And that’s what you’ve given me. That’s what I’d hoped to give you forever.” ~ Nicholas Sparks

I was labeled as the “hopeless romantic” for so long.

It was mostly used in a pejorative context, until I started feeling ashamed of being romantic.

I hid it for so long behind a wall of ice that was melted by my tears, briefly and secretly, when watching “The Notebook” and “A Walk to Remember.” My sister has always been the keeper of my secrets, and those tears were no exception.

So, when in 2014 on Christmas, my then-boyfriend asked her who my favorite author was (to buy me my favorite gift, books), she answered Nicholas Sparks. I am going to be honest here: I did not really know who he really was.

To cut a long story short, he got me the entire collection, and I binge-read it. Ever since, I try to read every Sparks book as soon as it comes out.

I am no longer ashamed of being romantic in a non-cheesy way that fits my character. I embrace romance in a mindful way, as I truly believe that the romantic “gene” is innate, instinctive, and natural to us humans.

To celebrate Nicholas Sparks’ birthday and this incredible discovery of mine, which is an obvious conclusion to many, here are 14 quotes to awaken the romantic in you:

“Love was, above all, about commitment and dedication and a belief that spending years with a certain person would create something greater than the sum of what the two could accomplish separately. Only time, however, could show whether you’d been accurate in your judgment.” ~ Nicholas Sparks, True Believer

“She’d lived almost an entire life, but had accomplished nothing extraordinary. She’d made no permanent mark on the world, nor would she ever, but if love was all that really mattered, she understood that she’d been singularly blessed. She decided to rest.” ~ Nicholas Sparks, Every Breath

“The colors, so vivid they seemed almost alive, made him think that nature sometimes sends us signs, that it’s important to remember that joy can always follow despair. But a moment later, the rainbow had vanished and the hail returned, and he realized that joy was sometimes only an illusion.” ~ Nicholas Sparks, The Choice

“I didn’t plan on falling in love with you, and I doubt you planned on falling in love with me. But once we met, it was clear that neither of us could control what was happening to us. We fell in love, despite our differences, and once we did, something rare and beautiful was created.” ~ Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook

“Sometimes you have to be apart from people you love, but that doesn’t make you love them any less. Sometimes you love them more.” ~ Nicholas Sparks, The Last Song

“Sometimes the most ordinary things could be made extraordinary, simply by doing them with the right people.” ~ Nicholas Sparks, The Lucky One

“They fought all the time and challenged each other every day. But despite their differences, they had one important thing in common. They were crazy about each other.” ~ Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook

“You’re going to come across people in your life who will say all the right words at all the right times. But in the end, it’s always their actions you should judge them by. It’s actions, not words, that matter.” ~ Nicholas Sparks, The Rescue

“I finally understood what true love meant…love meant that you care for another person’s happiness more than your own, no matter how painful the choices you face might be.” ~ Nicholas Sparks, Dear John

“You always have a choice. It’s just that some people make the wrong one.” ~ Nicholas Sparks, The Guardian

“We sit silently and watch the world around us. This has taken a lifetime to learn. It seems only the old are able to sit next to one another and not say anything and still feel content. The young, brash and impatient, must always break the silence. It is a waste, for silence is pure. Silence is holy. It draws people together because only those who are comfortable with each other can sit without speaking. This is the great paradox.” ~ Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook

“Dreams are always crushing when they don’t come true. But it’s the simple dreams that are often the most painful because they seem so personal, so reasonable, so attainable. You’re always close enough to touch, but never quite close enough to hold and it’s enough to break your heart.” ~ Nicholas Sparks, Three Weeks With My Brother

“I wish I had the talent to paint the way I feel about you, for my words always feel inadequate. I imagine using red for your passion and pale blue for your kindness; forest green to reflect the depth of your empathy and bright yellow for your unflagging optimism. And still I wonder: can even an artist’s palette capture the full range of what you mean to me?” ~ Nicholas Sparks, The Longest Ride

“There are moments when I wish I could roll back the clock and take all the sadness away, but I have the feeling that if I did, the joy would be gone as well.” ~ Nicholas Sparks, A Walk to Remember

There is nothing wrong with bringing romance back in style. Go ahead and write them a poem, send them flowers, buy their favorite chocolate, text them a song, share quotes with them and let them make fun of you, give them a hug, walk under the rain, kiss them passionately, tease them, make them laugh, let them cry, break up and make up, post something they’d love, or just simply, tell them the three magical words.

~