Sticking it out
Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh, from The Hague, 3 June 1883
You should thoroughly prepare yourself for the fact that you will gradually discover quite different things in the woman whom you are taking care of - that is in her character. And speaking my mind unreservedly, I say you will be disappointed in her, and perhaps you will say to her, "How you have changed!" and she will say the same thing to you. And then I think it will mean a step in the right direction if - notwithstanding this "change" on both sides - neither of you is annoyed with the other, and you learn to put up with things on her part, and she learns to put up with things on your part - or, in other words, if there is a mutual overlooking of shortcomings.
Look, this is a crisis nobody can escape, and it is a crisis which may cause some to become more firmly attached to each other, whereas on the other hand, it may cause others to become estranged by it, which is always a very deplorable thing to have happen once one has started. In short, sticking it out is not always an easy thing to do.
Letter 290
Translation courtesy of Robert Harrison.
Back to The Way of Vincent: Making art no matter what
You should thoroughly prepare yourself for the fact that you will gradually discover quite different things in the woman whom you are taking care of - that is in her character. And speaking my mind unreservedly, I say you will be disappointed in her, and perhaps you will say to her, "How you have changed!" and she will say the same thing to you. And then I think it will mean a step in the right direction if - notwithstanding this "change" on both sides - neither of you is annoyed with the other, and you learn to put up with things on her part, and she learns to put up with things on your part - or, in other words, if there is a mutual overlooking of shortcomings.
Look, this is a crisis nobody can escape, and it is a crisis which may cause some to become more firmly attached to each other, whereas on the other hand, it may cause others to become estranged by it, which is always a very deplorable thing to have happen once one has started. In short, sticking it out is not always an easy thing to do.
Letter 290
Translation courtesy of Robert Harrison.
Back to The Way of Vincent: Making art no matter what
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