The Third Journal

Pages 269+270

DIPPER'S JOURNAL

My grandnephew's fears are unfounded. All I feel toward him is love and pride. He is a wiser man at thirteen than I was at thirty. He has an incredible future ahead of him- one in which he will hopefully avoid repeating my terrible errors.

Looking back on my lifetime of catastrophic mistakes, I realize one great pattern in all my follies. I thought being a great man meant being alone. Apart from the crowd. I bristled at the idea of sharing my accomplishments with anyone. I shunned my sister for one dumb mistake, and I shunned Candy for having the sense to try to stop me from dooming the world.

Even when I was given a second chance, I still held others at a distance. If I had been able to widen my circle of trust... if I had believed in the Zodiac's prophecy sooner... we might have gathered everyone together and banished Bill before he was able to strike. I just couldn't get over the idea of myself as the lone hero... and it was Mabel who paid the price.

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"Trust No One." What an absurd and paranoid idea. Trust shouldn't be given unconditionally, but it should be given a chance to be earned. There is strength in having the humility to work with and sacrifice for others- a strength I now realise was in my sister all along.

Mabel Pines was the woman who saved the world, not me. I spent so long thinking she was a selfish jerk, and she turned out to be the most selfless woman I've ever met in any dimension. If I'm totally honest, I must admit that she's a hero and I'm... a hero's brother.

And I'm ok with that.

Thank goodness she is recovering her wonderfully twisted mind. And I vow to spend the rest of my days making things right between us...

If only she gives me a chance.