Friendship Quote by Jonathan Safran Foer
““Young friends, whose string-and-tin-can phone extended from island to island, had to pay out more and more string, as if letting kites go higher and higher. They had more and more to tell each other, and less and less string. The boy asked the girl to say "I love you" into her can, giving her no further explanation. And she didn't ask for any, or say "That's silly," or "We're too young for love," or even suggest that she was saying "I love you" because he asked her to. Instead she said, "I love you." The words traveled through the long, long string. The boy covered his can with a lid, removed it from the string, and put her love for him on a shelf in his closet. Of course, he never could open the can, because then he would lose its contents. It was enough just to know it was there.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer, 2005
A childhood metaphor shows how love can be stored, cherished, yet remain inaccessible, reflecting the tension between desire to connection and fear of vulnerability.
In simple terms: Love can be kept safe but not truly shared.
Key Takeaway
A love, but also be open to it.
Themes
love
communication
vulnerability
memory
nostalgia
Mood
reflective
melancholic
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- childhood friendships
- first love
- emotional intimacy
- personal growth
Key Concepts
metaphor
psychology
relationships
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you keep love in a “shelf” instead of sharing it?
- How does fear shape how we express affection?
A Different Perspective
Love kept secret can become a barrier to deeper connection.
