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There were times when I would forget her, though they were…

“There were times when I would forget her, though they were rare, and it would be for a time as though she had never existed; and then some passing girl's inadvertent gesture, or an accidental profile, or a hat like hers, would restore her, and restore the suffering too, and I would long again…” quote by Alfred Hayes
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““There were times when I would forget her, though they were rare, and it would be for a time as though she had never existed; and then some passing girl's inadvertent gesture, or an accidental profile, or a hat like hers, would restore her, and restore the suffering too, and I would long again, somehow, to encounter or to see her.””

Alfred Hayes

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A fleeting memory of a lost love resurfaces unexpectedly through small reminders, reigniting longing and pain.

In simple terms: Memories return via tiny triggers, reviving desire and sorrow.

Key Takeaway

Notice how small cues revive deep feelings.

Themes

love memory longing pain remembrance

Mood

melancholic reflective

Type

literary emotional

When to use this quote

  • lost love
  • everyday encounters
  • unexpected triggers

Key Concepts

nostalgia attachment psychology

Questions to Reflect On

  • What small things bring back forgotten feelings?
  • How do you cope when past love resurfaces?
A Different Perspective

Reminders may also cause emotional distress.

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