Change Quote by John McGahern
““Across her face there seemed to pass many feelings and reflections: it was as if she ached to touch and gather in and make whole those scattered years of change. But how can time be gathered in and kissed? There is only flesh.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Leavetaking by John McGahern, 1979
The passage reflects on the impossibility of capturing past experiences fully; time can only be felt through the body, not reclaimed.
In simple terms: Time cannot be gathered; only felt in flesh.
Key Takeaway
Accept the present, honor memories.
Themes
memory
time
human experience
Mood
melancholic
reflective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- grief
- reflection
- personal growth
Key Concepts
impermanence
embodiment
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you honor past change in the present?
- What does “only flesh” mean to you?
A Different Perspective
Time cannot be reversed, only lived.
