Bad time Quote by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
““Nothing, in truth, can ever replace a lost companion. Old comrades cannot be manufactured. There is nothing that can equal the treasure of so many shared memories, so many bad times endured together, so many quarrels, reconciliations, heartfelt impulses. Friendships like that cannot be reconstructed. If you plant an oak, you will hope in vain to sit soon under its shade. For such is life. We grow rich as we plant through the early years, but then come the years when time undoes our work and cuts down our trees. One by one our comrades deprive us of their shade, and within our mourning we always feel now the secret grief of growing old. If I search among my memories for those whose taste is lasting, if I write the balance sheet of the moments that truly counted, I surely find those that no fortune could have bought me. You cannot buy the friendship of a companion bound to you forever by ordeals endured together.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint‑Exupéry, 1943
Deep friendships are irreplaceable; shared hardships create a bond that cannot be recreated or bought.
In simple terms: True friends are priceless and cannot be replaced.
Key Takeaway
Cherish and nurture lasting friendships.
Themes
friendship
memory
loss
legacy
Mood
nostalgic
melancholic
Type
literary
philosophical
emotional
When to use this quote
- college years
- military service
- long‑distance relationships
- family reunions
- elder care
Key Concepts
bonding
shared experience
irreplaceability
time
mortality
Questions to Reflect On
- Which friendships have shaped you most?
- How do you honor lost friends?
A Different Perspective
New friendships may lack the depth of old ones.
