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“Yearning is not only for the past, for something that was. Yearning also means that there is something we do not like about the present. If yearning were only about the past, we would simply spend some time with our memeories, and then switch gears to focus on whatever is happening in the present. But the present moment can be full of pain when we are grieving, which makes the past all the more desirable. If the present has little to say for itself, or if we feel unable to shift our attention and we do not even know what the present has to offer, the more likely it is that yearning will persist.” — Mary-Frances O'Connor
Yearning is not only for the past, for something that was. Yearning also means that there is something we do not like about the present. If yearning were only about the past, we would simply spend some time with our memeories, and then switch gears to focus on whatever is happening in the present. But the present moment can be full of pain when we are grieving, which makes the past all the more desirable. If the present has little to say for itself, or if we feel unable to shift our attention and we do not even know what the present has to offer, the more likely it is that yearning will persist.