--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And she imagined how things could be…" description: "\"“And she imagined how things could be later. It was stupid, but the picture just appeared in her mind. Abel and Magnus shoveling snow together... in tw..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/404/antonia-michaelis-13184_abel-tannatek_and-she-imagined-how-things-could-be-lat_2585562.jpg" --- # And she imagined how things could be later. It was stupid… ![“And she imagined how things could be later. It was stupid, but the picture just appeared in her mind. Abel and Magnus shoveling snow together... in twenty years, in thirty. Magnus had grown old, his broad back still strong but bent from time, his hair nearly white at the temples. And Abel... Abel…” quote by Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/404/antonia-michaelis-13184_abel-tannatek_and-she-imagined-how-things-could-be-lat_2585562.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/404/antonia-michaelis-13184_abel-tannatek_and-she-imagined-how-things-could-be-lat_2585562.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/404/antonia-michaelis-13184_abel-tannatek_and-she-imagined-how-things-could-be-lat_2585562.jpg) > ““And she imagined how things could be later. It was stupid, but the picture just appeared in her mind. Abel and Magnus shoveling snow together... in twenty years, in thirty. Magnus had grown old, his broad back still strong but bent from time, his hair nearly white at the temples. And Abel... Abel was a different Abel, an adult one, one who was absolutely self-confident and didn't let his eyes dart around the room at lunch, as if he were caught in trap. "Nonsense," she whispered. "Thirty years? You don't stay with the person you meet at seventeen... what kind of fairy tale are you living in, Anna Leemann?" And still the picture seemed right.”” [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Imagining future selves can feel absurd yet vivid, prompting reflection on life choices. **In simple terms:** Future fantasies are strange but clear. Key Takeaway Reflect on long‑term goals. Themes imagination time self‑reflection Mood dreamy introspective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - fiction - psychology - creative writing Key Concepts future self nostalgia personal growth Questions to Reflect On - What does your future self look like? - How realistic are your visions? A Different Perspective Daydreaming may distract from present actions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abel Adult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abel-adult-1815516/) [Abel Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abel-different-1815518/) [Abel Magnus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abel-magnus-1815517/) [Abel-tannatek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abel-tannatek/) [Anna-leemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anna-leemann/) [Fairy tale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fairy-tale/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Magnus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magnus-115928/) [Seventeen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seventeen/) [Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/snow/) [Thirty years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thirty-years/) [Years Thirty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-thirty-691153/) ## Related quotes > [“Abel lifted her up - another gesture from former times, from when she'd been smaller - and carried her to the bathroom to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/abel-lifted-her-up-another-gesture-from-former-times-from-when-she-d/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“Adults were always quick to tell her how much she looked like her mother, and how little like her father. Though Anna thought that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/adults-were-always-quick-to-tell-her-how-much-she-looked-like-her/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“He looked at the gun. "Aren't you afraid?" "Of course I am," Anna said. "Of course I'm afraid. But that doesn't help." He shook…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/he-looked-at-the-gun-aren-t-you-afraid-of-course-i-am-anna-said-of/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“As long as you're better at it than skating...," Anna said and stood up too. She wanted to say more, but that wasn't possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/as-long-as-you-re-better-at-it-than-skating-anna-said-and-stood-up/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“That was how she saw the storyteller for the last time - in an absolutely silent world, in a staircase. He'd hit his target.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/that-was-how-she-saw-the-storyteller-for-the-last-time-in-an/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“Anna," he said for the fourth time, as if there was nothing more to say, now that she'd finally answered. Nothing but her name.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/anna-he-said-for-the-fourth-time-as-if-there-was-nothing-more-to-say/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“I'm doing a thousand new things in spite of myself," he said. "It's not easy, you know, to jump over your shadow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/i-m-doing-a-thousand-new-things-in-spite-of-myself-he-said-it-s-not/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“The place in her, though, where her tears should have come from, was rough and dry. No, she didn't find any tears in herself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/the-place-in-her-though-where-her-tears-should-have-come-from-was/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“Part of her - unreasonable Anna- still loved him. Maybe she would never stop loving him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/part-of-her-unreasonable-anna-still-loved-him-maybe-she-would-never/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“The white noise from the old Walkman enveloped them both; like a blanket of new snow, it draped itself over them, shutting out all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/the-white-noise-from-the-old-walkman-enveloped-them-both-like-a/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“And the snow that fell onto the roof in winter... it fell softly... softly... and it covered the house, the armchair, the books, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/and-the-snow-that-fell-onto-the-roof-in-winter-it-fell-softly-softly/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“In a dream, in a fairytale, nothing has to be explained, everything happens of its own accord.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/in-a-dream-in-a-fairytale-nothing-has-to-be-explained-everything/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“You didn't see us," she said to Anna... "I was... lost in thought," Anna replied. "What were you thinking about?" "You," Anna said. "Isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/you-didn-t-see-us-she-said-to-anna-i-was-lost-in-thought-anna-replied/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“I don't know what happened between the two of you. I don't know if it can be forgiven. The hardest thing always is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/i-don-t-know-what-happened-between-the-two-of-you-i-don-t-know-if-it/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“Go away princess. Leave your outlaw alone. You won't change him... go away, Anna, far away, and don't ever come back. The fairy tale…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/go-away-princess-leave-your-outlaw-alone-you-won-t-change-him-go-away/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) ## More by Antonia Michaelis > [“It was a disaster … It was the most wonderful thing in the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/it-was-a-disaster-it-was-the-most-wonderful-thing-in-the-world/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“The words that I will have to find for that explanation will be sharp and they will hurt, much worse than the thorns of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/the-words-that-i-will-have-to-find-for-that-explanation-will-be-sharp/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“You can't change things. That's life. Poor stays poor, rich says rich, and those two, they will never meet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/you-can-t-change-things-that-s-life-poor-stays-poor-rich-says-rich/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“Anna took his hand to gauge the swelling. 'Let's at least put something cold around it. Frozen peas work pretty well.' 'Do I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/anna-took-his-hand-to-gauge-the-swelling-let-s-at-least-put-something/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“My child, I know you're not a child But I still see you running wild Between those flowering trees. Your sparkling dreams, your silver…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/my-child-i-know-you-re-not-a-child-but-i-still-see-you-running-wild/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“Abel lifted her up - another gesture from former times, from when she'd been smaller - and carried her to the bathroom to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/abel-lifted-her-up-another-gesture-from-former-times-from-when-she-d/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“If we lose each other, we’ll meet where it’s spring.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/if-we-lose-each-other-we-ll-meet-where-it-s-spring/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“The Rajah's handsome eunuch never guessed that she was telling him the tale of her own life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/the-rajah-s-handsome-eunuch-never-guessed-that-she-was-telling-him/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“Just a tiny little pain, Three days of heavy rain, Three days of sunlight, Everything will be alright, Just a tiny little pain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/just-a-tiny-little-pain-three-days-of-heavy-rain-three-days-of/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“Nothing was perfect, but everything was all right. The light was never just blue.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/nothing-was-perfect-but-everything-was-all-right-the-light-was-never/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“I don't know what happened between the two of you. I don't know if it can be forgiven. The hardest thing always is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/i-don-t-know-what-happened-between-the-two-of-you-i-don-t-know-if-it/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“Anna watched as Abel walked across the empty schoolyard, she wondered whether there was a limit to desolation or whether it grew endlessly, infinitely.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/anna-watched-as-abel-walked-across-the-empty-schoolyard-she-wondered/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“You didn't see us," she said to Anna... "I was... lost in thought," Anna replied. "What were you thinking about?" "You," Anna said. "Isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/you-didn-t-see-us-she-said-to-anna-i-was-lost-in-thought-anna-replied/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“Abel was brushing the snow off his parka while Micha was dancing around him, still balancing the plate of cookies, singing, 'We're staying, we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/abel-was-brushing-the-snow-off-his-parka-while-micha-was-dancing/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“That cloak of love you were wearing—he’s torn it to shreds, undoing the seams of trust that held it together. How can you ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/that-cloak-of-love-you-were-wearing-he-s-torn-it-to-shreds-undoing/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) [Explore all 51 Antonia Michaelis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) ## More Abel-tannatek quotes > [“The words that I will have to find for that explanation will be sharp and they will hurt, much worse than the thorns of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/the-words-that-i-will-have-to-find-for-that-explanation-will-be-sharp/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“Anna took his hand to gauge the swelling. 'Let's at least put something cold around it. Frozen peas work pretty well.' 'Do I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/anna-took-his-hand-to-gauge-the-swelling-let-s-at-least-put-something/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“Abel lifted her up - another gesture from former times, from when she'd been smaller - and carried her to the bathroom to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/abel-lifted-her-up-another-gesture-from-former-times-from-when-she-d/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“Abel was brushing the snow off his parka while Micha was dancing around him, still balancing the plate of cookies, singing, 'We're staying, we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/abel-was-brushing-the-snow-off-his-parka-while-micha-was-dancing/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“In a dream, in a fairytale, nothing has to be explained, everything happens of its own accord.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/in-a-dream-in-a-fairytale-nothing-has-to-be-explained-everything/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“The white noise from the old Walkman enveloped them both; like a blanket of new snow, it draped itself over them, shutting out all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/the-white-noise-from-the-old-walkman-enveloped-them-both-like-a/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“Part of her - unreasonable Anna- still loved him. Maybe she would never stop loving him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/part-of-her-unreasonable-anna-still-loved-him-maybe-she-would-never/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“The place in her, though, where her tears should have come from, was rough and dry. No, she didn't find any tears in herself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/the-place-in-her-though-where-her-tears-should-have-come-from-was/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“I'm doing a thousand new things in spite of myself," he said. "It's not easy, you know, to jump over your shadow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/i-m-doing-a-thousand-new-things-in-spite-of-myself-he-said-it-s-not/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“Anna," he said for the fourth time, as if there was nothing more to say, now that she'd finally answered. Nothing but her name.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/anna-he-said-for-the-fourth-time-as-if-there-was-nothing-more-to-say/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“That was how she saw the storyteller for the last time - in an absolutely silent world, in a staircase. He'd hit his target.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/that-was-how-she-saw-the-storyteller-for-the-last-time-in-an/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“As long as you're better at it than skating...," Anna said and stood up too. She wanted to say more, but that wasn't possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/as-long-as-you-re-better-at-it-than-skating-anna-said-and-stood-up/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“I can’t be forgiven so I am not asking you for forgiveness. We lost each other, and we will never find each other again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/i-can-t-be-forgiven-so-i-am-not-asking-you-for-forgiveness-we-lost/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“There are fewer answers in the world than questions, and if you ask me now why that is so, I must tell you that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/there-are-fewer-answers-in-the-world-than-questions-and-if-you-ask-me/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) > [“Possibly, she thought, the pool of answers was limited. There are fewer answers in the world than questions, and if you ask me now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/possibly-she-thought-the-pool-of-answers-was-limited-there-are-fewer/) [Antonia Michaelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/) [Browse all 22 Abel-tannatek quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abel-tannatek/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“And she imagined how things could be later. It was stupid, but the picture just appeared in her mind. Abel and Magnus shoveling snow together... in twenty years, in thirty. Magnus had grown old, his broad back still strong but bent from time, his hair nearly white at the temples. And Abel... Abel was a different Abel, an adult one, one who was absolutely self-confident and didn't let his eyes dart around the room at lunch, as if he were caught in trap. \"Nonsense,\" she whispered. \"Thirty years? You don't stay with the person you meet at seventeen... what kind of fairy tale are you living in, Anna Leemann?\" And still the picture seemed right.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Antonia Michaelis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/and-she-imagined-how-things-could-be-later-it-was-stupid-but-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Abel-tannatek" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/and-she-imagined-how-things-could-be-later-it-was-stupid-but-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/404/antonia-michaelis-13184_abel-tannatek_and-she-imagined-how-things-could-be-lat_2585562.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/404/antonia-michaelis-13184_abel-tannatek_and-she-imagined-how-things-could-be-lat_2585562.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/404/antonia-michaelis-13184_abel-tannatek_and-she-imagined-how-things-could-be-lat_2585562.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“And she imagined how things could be later. It was stupid, but the picture just appeared in her mind. Abel…” — Antonia Michaelis", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Antonia Michaelis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-michaelis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“And she imagined how things could...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/and-she-imagined-how-things-could-be-later-it-was-stupid-but-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-michaelis/and-she-imagined-how-things-could-be-later-it-was-stupid-but-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```