--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They waited awhile before lighting the…" description: "\"“They waited awhile before lighting the candles; the gloom allowed the past to slip cozily into the present. But the memories were of a time that was g..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53a/bernhard-schlink-3329_memories_they-waited-awhile-before-lighting-the-c_2055238.png" --- # They waited awhile before lighting the candles; the gloom… ![“They waited awhile before lighting the candles; the gloom allowed the past to slip cozily into the present. But the memories were of a time that was gone and didn't overshadow the present. But the memories were vivid, and they made the freinds feel both young and old...When Chrsitanne finally lit…” quote by Bernhard Schlink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53a/bernhard-schlink-3329_memories_they-waited-awhile-before-lighting-the-c_2055238.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53a/bernhard-schlink-3329_memories_they-waited-awhile-before-lighting-the-c_2055238.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53a/bernhard-schlink-3329_memories_they-waited-awhile-before-lighting-the-c_2055238.png) > ““They waited awhile before lighting the candles; the gloom allowed the past to slip cozily into the present. But the memories were of a time that was gone and didn't overshadow the present. But the memories were vivid, and they made the freinds feel both young and old...When Chrsitanne finally lit the candles and they saw one another clearly again, she was happy to see in the old faces of the others the young faces they had come across in their memories. we store our youth wihtin us, we can go back to it and find ourselves in it, but it is past--melancholy filled their hearsts, and sympahty, for one another and for themsleves.”” [Bernhard Schlink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernhard-schlink/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage reflects on how recalling past memories can make us feel both youthful and aged, blending nostalgia with present reality. **In simple terms:** Memories let us revisit youth while staying present. Key Takeaway Embrace memories but stay grounded. Themes nostalgia memory identity friendship time melancholy Mood reflective bittersweet contemplative Type literary philosophical emotional When to use this quote - family gatherings - reunion events - personal reflection - therapy sessions - creative writing Key Concepts psychology temporal perception emotional resonance Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance cherishing past with living now? - What role does shared memory play in friendships? A Different Perspective Memories can trap us in longing, hindering present engagement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories/) [Memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory/) [Old friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-friends/) [Sad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sad/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) ## Related quotes > [''There are five things that are gone and never come:memories,time, friends, family members, and opportunities.''](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/queencolor495/there-are-five-things-that-are-gone-and-never-come-memories-time/) QueenColor495 > [And still it is not enough to have memories. One must be able to forget them when they are many, and one must have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/and-still-it-is-not-enough-to-have-memories-one-must-be-able-to/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [Happy times come and go, but the memories stay forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/happy-times-come-and-go-but-the-memories-stay-forever/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There will always be that one person in your life that you thought you had completely forgotten about, but somehow they manage to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aroha-janet/there-will-always-be-that-one-person-in-your-life-that-you-thought/) [Aroha Janet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aroha-janet/) > [“First there is nightmare. Then come the memories. Now she must hunt'.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-allison-moulton/first-there-is-nightmare-then-come-the-memories-now-she-must-hunt/) [Courtney Allison Moulton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-allison-moulton/) > [“For the sake of a few lines one must see many cities, men and things. One must know the animals, one must feel how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/for-the-sake-of-a-few-lines-one-must-see-many-cities-men-and-things/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [The words come from here. From memories, from dreams, from people I've known. I'm always writing and reflecting on life. I want to suck…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-buckley/the-words-come-from-here-from-memories-from-dreams-from-people-i-ve/) [Jeff Buckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-buckley/) > [“We interact with one another as individuals responding to a complex haze of factors: professional responsibilities, personal likes and dislikes, ambition, jealousy, self-interest, and,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-philbrick/we-interact-with-one-another-as-individuals-responding-to-a-complex/) [Nathaniel Philbrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-philbrick/) > [“The past is important only insofar as it informs the present - but when memories grow so powerful that they drag us back rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romina-russell/the-past-is-important-only-insofar-as-it-informs-the-present-but-when/) Romina Russell > [In the West we cling to the past like limpets. In Haiti the present is the axis of all life. As in Africa, past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wade-davis/in-the-west-we-cling-to-the-past-like-limpets-in-haiti-the-present-is/) [Wade Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wade-davis/) > [“You have consented to time and it is winter. The country seems bigger, for you can see through the bare trees. There are times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/you-have-consented-to-time-and-it-is-winter-the-country-seems-bigger/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [“The past cannot be lost in the present. Not even memories were lost, because memories are not fixed but ever-changing, because memories do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-martin/the-past-cannot-be-lost-in-the-present-not-even-memories-were-lost/) Gregory Martin > [“Living in the here and now, we are awash with sensations of the present, memories of the past, and expectations and fears for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-philbrick/living-in-the-here-and-now-we-are-awash-with-sensations-of-the/) [Nathaniel Philbrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-philbrick/) > [“If we direct our intention toward doing (when possible) that which seems meaningful right now and noticing that any outcome is enough, we might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-bates/if-we-direct-our-intention-toward-doing-when-possible-that-which/) Jordan Bates > [We exist only by virtue of what we possess, we possess only what is really present to us, and many of our memories, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/we-exist-only-by-virtue-of-what-we-possess-we-possess-only-what-is/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) ## More by Bernhard Schlink > [“Ne ispada li, onda, da je egzistencijalni umor rezultat premalog, a ne prevelikog angažovanja? Postajemo li umorni usled toga što olakšavamo sebi situaciju, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernhard-schlink/ne-ispada-li-onda-da-je-egzistencijalni-umor-rezultat-premalog-a-ne/) [Bernhard Schlink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernhard-schlink/) > [Why? Why does what was beautiful suddenly shatter in hindsight because it concealed dark truths? Why does the memory of years of happy marriage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernhard-schlink/why-why-does-what-was-beautiful-suddenly-shatter-in-hindsight-because/) [Bernhard Schlink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernhard-schlink/) > [“...if something hurts me, the hurts I suffered back then come back to me, and when I feel guilty, the feelings of guilt return;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernhard-schlink/if-something-hurts-me-the-hurts-i-suffered-back-then-come-back-to-me/) [Bernhard Schlink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernhard-schlink/) > [“The truth of what one says lies in what one does.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernhard-schlink/the-truth-of-what-one-says-lies-in-what-one-does/) [Bernhard Schlink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernhard-schlink/) > [“When she had fallen asleep on me, and the saw in the yard was quiet, and a blackbird was singing as the colors of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernhard-schlink/when-she-had-fallen-asleep-on-me-and-the-saw-in-the-yard-was-quiet/) [Bernhard Schlink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernhard-schlink/) > [“To anyone ignorant of history, it would be easy to see ways of life in earlier times simply as ways of life in foreign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernhard-schlink/to-anyone-ignorant-of-history-it-would-be-easy-to-see-ways-of-life-in/) [Bernhard Schlink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernhard-schlink/) > [“What is it?' 'Nothing,' he said, and put his arm around her. 'You sighed.' 'I'd like to be further along than I am.' She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernhard-schlink/what-is-it-nothing-he-said-and-put-his-arm-around-her-you-sighed-i-d/) [Bernhard Schlink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernhard-schlink/) > [“But the finger I pointed at her turned back to me. I had loved her. Not only had I loved her, I had chosen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernhard-schlink/but-the-finger-i-pointed-at-her-turned-back-to-me-i-had-loved-her-not/) [Bernhard Schlink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernhard-schlink/) > [“I wanted to pose myself both tasks - understanding and condemnation. But it was impossible to do both”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernhard-schlink/i-wanted-to-pose-myself-both-tasks-understanding-and-condemnation-but/) [Bernhard Schlink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernhard-schlink/) > [Sometimes the memory of happiness cannot stay true because it ended unhappily..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernhard-schlink/sometimes-the-memory-of-happiness-cannot-stay-true-because-it-ended/) [Bernhard Schlink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernhard-schlink/) > [“I had no one to point at. Certainly not my parents, because I had nothing to accuse them of. The zeal for letting in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernhard-schlink/i-had-no-one-to-point-at-certainly-not-my-parents-because-i-had/) [Bernhard Schlink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernhard-schlink/) > [Sometimes I had the feeling that all of us in his family were like pets to him. The dog you take for a walk,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernhard-schlink/sometimes-i-had-the-feeling-that-all-of-us-in-his-family-were-like/) [Bernhard Schlink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernhard-schlink/) > [“There are matters one simply cannot get drawn into, that one must distance oneself from, if the price is not life and limb. هناك أمور لا يمكن للواحد ببساطة أن ينخرط فيها ، يجب على الواحد ان ينحي نفسه عنها ، حتى وإن كان الثمن موته أو بتره.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernhard-schlink/there-are-matters-one-simply-cannot-get-drawn-into-that-one-must/) [Bernhard Schlink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernhard-schlink/) > [She was struggling, as she always had struggled, not to show what she could do but to hide what she couldn't do. A life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernhard-schlink/she-was-struggling-as-she-always-had-struggled-not-to-show-what-she/) [Bernhard Schlink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernhard-schlink/) > [As an author, you hope for a director and a cast that will make something wonderful out of your book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernhard-schlink/as-an-author-you-hope-for-a-director-and-a-cast-that-will-make/) [Bernhard Schlink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernhard-schlink/) [Explore all 104 Bernhard Schlink quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernhard-schlink/) ## More Memories quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [I am told many children block out the memory of trauma. In fact, the healing process can only truly begin when we are willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-stone/i-am-told-many-children-block-out-the-memory-of-trauma-in-fact-the/) [Phoebe Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-stone/) > [The cooler days have brought a wistful mood upon him. The smell of coalsmoke in the air at night. Old times, dead years. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-cooler-days-have-brought-a-wistful-mood-upon-him-the-smell-of/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [I have a memory like an elephant. I remember every elephant I've ever met.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/i-have-a-memory-like-an-elephant-i-remember-every-elephant-i-ve-ever/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/) [Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/) > [My greatest memories as a kid were playing sports with my dad and watching sports with my dad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-teixeira/my-greatest-memories-as-a-kid-were-playing-sports-with-my-dad-and/) [Mark Teixeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-teixeira/) > [A well-fashioned day - with a beginning and an end, a purpose and a content, a color and a character, a feel and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/a-well-fashioned-day-with-a-beginning-and-an-end-a-purpose-and-a/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [What keeps me motivated is not the food itself but all the bonds and memories the food represents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chiarello/what-keeps-me-motivated-is-not-the-food-itself-but-all-the-bonds-and/) Michael Chiarello > [Our memory is a monster; you forget it - it does not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/our-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-it-does-not/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [In the name of Jerusalem. If I forget the extermination of the Jews, may my right hand wither, may my tongue stick to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/menachem-begin/in-the-name-of-jerusalem-if-i-forget-the-extermination-of-the-jews/) [Menachem Begin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/menachem-begin/) > [Memory revises me. Even now a letter comes from a place I don’t know, from someone with my name and postmarked years ago, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-young-lee/memory-revises-me-even-now-a-letter-comes-from-a-place-i-don-t-know/) [Li-Young Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-young-lee/) > [As my films are born at the moment when they are reflected into another person's mind and memories, there are no misconceptions. I totally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/as-my-films-are-born-at-the-moment-when-they-are-reflected-into/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) > [Children, Never look Back!" and this meant that we must never allow the future to be weighed down by memory . for children have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/children-never-look-back-and-this-meant-that-we-must-never-allow-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“ving self and others is an every second of every day of every week, of every month, of every year gift that should not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjo-jendayi/ving-self-and-others-is-an-every-second-of-every-day-of-every-week-of/) [Sanjo Jendayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjo-jendayi/) [Browse all 11,132 Memories quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“They waited awhile before lighting the candles; the gloom allowed the past to slip cozily into the present. 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