---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: our finite time in life does not allow us…"
description: "\"“our finite time in life does not allow us to really go back. The biographies and autobiographies, based on the exploration and interpretation of the n..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/984/gar-lasalle-89617_family-friends_our-finite-time-in-life-does-not-allow-u_2658921.jpg"
---

#  our finite time in life does not allow us to really go…

![“our finite time in life does not allow us to really go back. The biographies and autobiographies, based on the exploration and interpretation of the notes we have saved and the markings shaken loose from the corners where we have tucked them, most often stay unwritten. Thus, the memories and…” quote by Gar Lasalle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/984/gar-lasalle-89617_family-friends_our-finite-time-in-life-does-not-allow-u_2658921.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/984/gar-lasalle-89617_family-friends_our-finite-time-in-life-does-not-allow-u_2658921.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/984/gar-lasalle-89617_family-friends_our-finite-time-in-life-does-not-allow-u_2658921.jpg)

> ““our finite time in life does not allow us to really go back. The biographies and autobiographies, based on the exploration and interpretation of the notes we have saved and the markings shaken loose from the corners where we have tucked them, most often stay unwritten. Thus, the memories and mementos become encumbrances, if not for us, then for the family, friends, and strangers who must clean up afterward. Instead of them being loving presences with fragrances that grace a room, they become pale pieces of paper with words that no longer echo and move mountains and souls. A pity, she thought. But there was still much to see in this life, and that was good. She would accept that and move on.””

Gar Lasalle

## About This Quote

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

Life’s brevity makes unrecorded memories burdensome, urging us to cherish present moments.

**In simple terms:** Don’t let memories become burdens.

Key Takeaway

Live now.

Themes

memory impermanence family acceptance

Mood

reflective melancholic

Type

narrative philosophical

When to use this quote

- family gatherings
- personal reflection
- writing memoirs

Key Concepts

nostalgia burden legacy

Questions to Reflect On

- Which memories do you cherish?
- How can you honor unfinished stories?

A Different Perspective

Memories can also bring comfort, not just weight.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Family friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family-friends/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mementos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mementos/) [Memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories/) [Memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory/) [Move mountains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/move-mountains/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Travel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/travel/)

## Related quotes

> [“What matters is at the end of life, when you're about to pass into oblivion, that you've at least scratched 'Kilroy was here,' on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/what-matters-is-at-the-end-of-life-when-you-re-about-to-pass-into/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [...mementos of this world, in which the things worth being were so easily exchanged for the things worth having.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gaddis/mementos-of-this-world-in-which-the-things-worth-being-were-so-easily/)

[William Gaddis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gaddis/)

> [“The objects for which there is no satisfactory resolution… In theory, these mementos serve to bring back the moment. In fact they serve only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/the-objects-for-which-there-is-no-satisfactory-resolution-in-theory/)

[Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/)

> [Little remnants from everywhere I've been are scattered around my home. I collect rocks in a weird way, with stones from around the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gael-garcia-bernal/little-remnants-from-everywhere-i-ve-been-are-scattered-around-my/)

[Gael Garcia Bernal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gael-garcia-bernal/)

> [I do like to keep mementos from my work, whether they be photos, the backs of make-up chairs or even props and clothes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-garcia/i-do-like-to-keep-mementos-from-my-work-whether-they-be-photos-the/)

[Adam Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-garcia/)

> [“A silver hairbrush, old and surely precious, with a little leopard's head for London stamped near the bristles. A white dress, small and pretty,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-morton/a-silver-hairbrush-old-and-surely-precious-with-a-little-leopard-s/)

[Kate Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-morton/)

> [“The man had no portraits or photographs, but he had slowly surrounded himself with mementos of a fantastic past. Each little item, by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ritter/the-man-had-no-portraits-or-photographs-but-he-had-slowly-surrounded/)

[William Ritter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ritter/)

> [Sometimes I would see them not as mementos of the blissful hours but as the tangible precious debris of the storm raging in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/sometimes-i-would-see-them-not-as-mementos-of-the-blissful-hours-but/)

[Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/)

> [With the death of my father, it wasn't just the objects of everyday life that had changed; even the most ordinary street scenes had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/with-the-death-of-my-father-it-wasn-t-just-the-objects-of-everyday/)

[Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/)

> [In fact I no longer value this kind of memento. I no longer want reminders of what was, what got broken, what got lost,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/in-fact-i-no-longer-value-this-kind-of-memento-i-no-longer-want/)

[Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/)

> [“I once expected to spend seven years walking around the world on foot. I walked from Mexico to Panama where the road ended before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-whitman/i-once-expected-to-spend-seven-years-walking-around-the-world-on-foot/)

[George Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-whitman/)

> [I keep mementos from everything I've done. I've got my cab driver's license from 'Happiness.' I've got a pair of glasses and a belt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-harris/i-keep-mementos-from-everything-i-ve-done-i-ve-got-my-cab-driver-s/)

[Jared Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-harris/)

> [“In theory these mementos serve to bring back the moment. In fact they serve only to make clear how inadequately I appreciated the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/in-theory-these-mementos-serve-to-bring-back-the-moment-in-fact-they/)

[Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/)

> [“I find many mass cards from the funerals of people whose faces I no longer remember. In theory these mementos serve to bring back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/i-find-many-mass-cards-from-the-funerals-of-people-whose-faces-i-no/)

[Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/)

> [“It was true. Sugar did treat her bees like next of kin but then again, they were. Along with her manners, the accent she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kate-lynch/it-was-true-sugar-did-treat-her-bees-like-next-of-kin-but-then-again/)

[Sarah-Kate Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kate-lynch/)

## More by Gar Lasalle

> [“He thought about whether he had ever understood or accepted the weakness of his feelings, instead of containing them as dangerous out-of-control calamities waiting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gar-lasalle/he-thought-about-whether-he-had-ever-understood-or-accepted-the/)

Gar Lasalle

Explore all 2 Gar Lasalle quotes

## More Family friends quotes

> [Family over friends, because real friends are family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/family-over-friends-because-real-friends-are-family/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Love is the Key started in 1994 with a simple idea: that Love is the Key that would open all the doors in life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/love-is-the-key/love-is-the-key-started-in-1994-with-a-simple-idea-that-love-is-the/)

[Love Is The Key®](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/love-is-the-key/)

> [Two things I am thankful for: 1: Family and friends. 2: Caller ID, so I can avoid certain family and friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/two-things-i-am-thankful-for-1-family-and-friends-2-caller-id-so-i/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Rather than bringing me closer to others, the time that I spend online isolates me from the most important people in my life, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifford-stoll/rather-than-bringing-me-closer-to-others-the-time-that-i-spend-online/)

[Clifford Stoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifford-stoll/)

> [It's very important for me to spend time with my family and my friends and disconnect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cooper/it-s-very-important-for-me-to-spend-time-with-my-family-and-my/)

[Alex Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cooper/)

> [“she’d posed for her wedding photo. The only thing missing was her father. She still remembered how gently Brian had told her he wouldn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cora-seton/she-d-posed-for-her-wedding-photo-the-only-thing-missing-was-her/)

[Cora Seton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cora-seton/)

> [I'm thankful to my family, friends, and fans for all of their support.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serena-williams/i-m-thankful-to-my-family-friends-and-fans-for-all-of-their-support/)

[Serena Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serena-williams/)

> [My illness is one often characterized by dramatic overspending - in my case through frenzied shopping sprees, credit card abuse, excessive hoarding of unnecessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-behrman/my-illness-is-one-often-characterized-by-dramatic-overspending-in-my/)

[Andy Behrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-behrman/)

> [I am like a kid. I tell my family and friends I'm like a kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shahrukh-khan/i-am-like-a-kid-i-tell-my-family-and-friends-i-m-like-a-kid/)

[Shahrukh Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shahrukh-khan/)

> [At the end of the day, everyone knows what it is to be loved and to aspire to love someone, to want to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/at-the-end-of-the-day-everyone-knows-what-it-is-to-be-loved-and-to/)

[David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/)

> [I put a lot of emphasis on how to treat people. The reason for this is simple. The real success of our personal lives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/i-put-a-lot-of-emphasis-on-how-to-treat-people-the-reason-for-this-is/)

[Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/)

> [I'm grateful to my family, friends and fans, who have supported me and stood by me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-sreesanth/i-m-grateful-to-my-family-friends-and-fans-who-have-supported-me-and/)

[S. Sreesanth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-sreesanth/)

> [I want all my friends, family and fans to know that I am in good spirits and I will be fine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-kim/i-want-all-my-friends-family-and-fans-to-know-that-i-am-in-good/)

[Lil' Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-kim/)

> [I want to be inspiring to myself, to my kids, my family, and my friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-want-to-be-inspiring-to-myself-to-my-kids-my-family-and-my-friends/)

[Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/)

> [When you are sick or get old , your job won't take care of you .Your family and friends will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haitham-elsaadany/when-you-are-sick-or-get-old-your-job-won-t-take-care-of-you-your/)

[Haitham Elsaadany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haitham-elsaadany/)

[Browse all 671 Family friends quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family-friends/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“our finite time in life does not allow us to really go back. The biographies and autobiographies, based on the exploration and interpretation of the notes we have saved and the markings shaken loose from the corners where we have tucked them, most often stay unwritten. Thus, the memories and mementos become encumbrances, if not for us, then for the family, friends, and strangers who must clean up afterward. Instead of them being loving presences with fragrances that grace a room, they become pale pieces of paper with words that no longer echo and move mountains and souls. A pity, she thought. But there was still much to see in this life, and that was good. She would accept that and move on.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Gar Lasalle"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gar-lasalle/our-finite-time-in-life-does-not-allow-us-to-really-go-back-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Family friends"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gar-lasalle/our-finite-time-in-life-does-not-allow-us-to-really-go-back-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/984/gar-lasalle-89617_family-friends_our-finite-time-in-life-does-not-allow-u_2658921.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/984/gar-lasalle-89617_family-friends_our-finite-time-in-life-does-not-allow-u_2658921.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/984/gar-lasalle-89617_family-friends_our-finite-time-in-life-does-not-allow-u_2658921.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“our finite time in life does not allow us to really go back. The biographies and autobiographies, based on…” — Gar Lasalle",
                "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": "Gar Lasalle",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gar-lasalle/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“our finite time in life does...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gar-lasalle/our-finite-time-in-life-does-not-allow-us-to-really-go-back-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gar-lasalle/our-finite-time-in-life-does-not-allow-us-to-really-go-back-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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
