Promise Me Sunshine

At the beginning of the novel, Lenny believes that her grief for Lou is insurmountable and that she will never live again after the loss of her best friend. In the first chapter, she laments how “the thing about losing the person you love the most on earth is—somehow—you still have to do mundane things like tie your shoes and make enough money to continue to exist in this punishing world” (11), showing how her grief has consumed her entire life yet she must keep on living it. At one point in the story, the narrative implies that Lenny experiences suicidal ideation, and she considers suicide after she sees the painting that reminds her of Lou at the Met. However, what Miles tries to teach Lenny is not how to overcome her grief but how to live with it while remaining hopeful and open to joy. He continually tells Lenny that things will eventually become easier for her, often saying things along the lines of “Believe it or not, it gets easier to talk about after a while. A long while. But I’ve been there, Lenny. Right where you are. Where you lose control of your life and nothing makes sense anymore.