--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Hours and days and months and years go…" description: "\"Hours and days and months and years go by; the past returns no more, and what is to be we cannot know; but whatever the time gives us in which we live,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/235/marcus-tullius-cicero-157_giving_hours-and-days-and-months-and-years-go-b_513399.jpg" --- # Hours and days and months and years go by; the past… ![“Hours and days and months and years go by; the past returns no more, and what is to be we cannot know; but whatever the time gives us in which we live, we should therefore be content.” quote by Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/235/marcus-tullius-cicero-157_giving_hours-and-days-and-months-and-years-go-b_513399.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/235/marcus-tullius-cicero-157_giving_hours-and-days-and-months-and-years-go-b_513399.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/235/marcus-tullius-cicero-157_giving_hours-and-days-and-months-and-years-go-b_513399.jpg) > “Hours and days and months and years go by; the past returns no more, and what is to be we cannot know; but whatever the time gives us in which we live, we should therefore be content.” [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life is fleeting and unpredictable; we should accept what we have and find contentment in the present. **In simple terms:** Accept the present and be content. Key Takeaway Cultivate gratitude for now. Themes contentment impermanence acceptance Mood reflective calm Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - daily routines - personal setbacks - loss - health challenges Key Concepts Stoicism temporal perspective Questions to Reflect On - What can you appreciate right now? - How does acceptance affect anxiety? A Different Perspective Contentment may be hard when facing loss or longing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Days Months](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/days-months-237062/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Hours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hours/) [Know Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-time/) [Months](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/months/) [Months Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/months-years-355743/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Return](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/return/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time Gives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-gives-243146/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [You can spend minutes hours days months even years thinking what could or what can happen or you can just leave it how it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-spend-minutes-hours-days-months-even-years-thinking-what/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [This is days and days and months and years and all the minutes in between, just you me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paullina-simons/this-is-days-and-days-and-months-and-years-and-all-the-minutes-in/) [Paullina Simons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paullina-simons/) > [Five days or five months, but it certainly isn't going to last longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/five-days-or-five-months-but-it-certainly-isn-t-going-to-last-longer/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [Try to say nothing negative about anybody for three days, for forty-five days, for three months. See what happens to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/try-to-say-nothing-negative-about-anybody-for-three-days-for-forty/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [I tell my students, if you are going to spend days and months and years with someone, you had better like that person!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-nagel/i-tell-my-students-if-you-are-going-to-spend-days-and-months-and/) [Susan Nagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-nagel/) > [It's like this: The time between having an idea and its public launch is measured in days not months, weeks not years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-bray/it-s-like-this-the-time-between-having-an-idea-and-its-public-launch/) [Tim Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-bray/) > [Oh! how the hours hasten to change into days, the days into months, the months into years, and those into life's annihilation!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/oh-how-the-hours-hasten-to-change-into-days-the-days-into-months-the/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [Learn, he says, that there will be hours, days and months ahead of feeling absolutely terrible and nothing can change that; neither new girlfriends,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/learn-he-says-that-there-will-be-hours-days-and-months-ahead-of/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“Days and months are the travellers of eternity. So”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/days-and-months-are-the-travellers-of-eternity-so/) [Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/) > [“Try to say nothing negative about anybody. a) for three days b) for forty-five days c) for three months See what happens to your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/try-to-say-nothing-negative-about-anybody-a-for-three-days-b-for/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [Time gives space to heal again](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cath-chatto/time-gives-space-to-heal-again/) [Cath Chatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cath-chatto/) > [Opinions, theories, and systems pass by turns over the grindstone of time, which at first gives them brilliancy and sharpness, but finally wears them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-rivarol/opinions-theories-and-systems-pass-by-turns-over-the-grindstone-of/) [Antoine Rivarol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-rivarol/) > [Time gives growth, it gives continuity and it gives change. And in the case of some sculptures, time gives a patina to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-goldsworthy/time-gives-growth-it-gives-continuity-and-it-gives-change-and-in-the/) [Andy Goldsworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-goldsworthy/) > [“Time gives poetry to a battlefield...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-greene/time-gives-poetry-to-a-battlefield/) [Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-greene/) > [I was discovering that the most precious gift someone can give us is time, because what gives time its value is death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-betancourt/i-was-discovering-that-the-most-precious-gift-someone-can-give-us-is/) [Ingrid Betancourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingrid-betancourt/) ## More by Marcus Tullius Cicero > [Laughing, laughing, laughing, laughing! It is the jester! A voice from the Void, to cheer poor Cicero! I accept your gift, dearest Night Mother.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/laughing-laughing-laughing-laughing-it-is-the-jester-a-voice-from-the/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [This is a proof of a well-trained mind, to rejoice in what is good and to grieve at the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/this-is-a-proof-of-a-well-trained-mind-to-rejoice-in-what-is-good-and/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Let art, then, imitate nature, find what she desires, and follow as she directs. For in invention nature is never last, education never first;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/let-art-then-imitate-nature-find-what-she-desires-and-follow-as-she/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/gratitude-is-not-only-the-greatest-of-virtues-but-the-parent-of-all/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Things sacred should not only be touched with the hands, but unviolated in thought. \[Lat., Res sacros non modo manibus attingi, sed ne cogitatione…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/things-sacred-should-not-only-be-touched-with-the-hands-but/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Grief is not in the nature of things, but in opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/grief-is-not-in-the-nature-of-things-but-in-opinion/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Physicians, when the cause of disease is discovered, consider that the cure is discovered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/physicians-when-the-cause-of-disease-is-discovered-consider-that-the/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Nihil est incertius vulgo, nihil obscurius voluntate hominum, nihil fallacius ratione tota comitiorum. (Nothing is more unpredictable than the mob, nothing more obscure than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/nihil-est-incertius-vulgo-nihil-obscurius-voluntate-hominum-nihil/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [The foundations of justice are that on one shall suffer wrong; then, that the public good be promoted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/the-foundations-of-justice-are-that-on-one-shall-suffer-wrong-then/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [“The life of the dead is set in the memory of the living.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/the-life-of-the-dead-is-set-in-the-memory-of-the-living/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Pardon is granted to necessity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/pardon-is-granted-to-necessity/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Friendship embraces innumerable ends; turn where you will it is ever at your side; no barrier shuts it out; it is never untimely and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/friendship-embraces-innumerable-ends-turn-where-you-will-it-is-ever/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [History is the witness of the times, the light of truth, the life of memory, the teacher of life, the messenger of antiquity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/history-is-the-witness-of-the-times-the-light-of-truth-the-life-of/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [The Jews belong to a dark and repulsive force. One knows how numerous this clique is, how they stick together and what power they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/the-jews-belong-to-a-dark-and-repulsive-force-one-knows-how-numerous/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Nature has planted in our minds an insatiable longing to see the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/nature-has-planted-in-our-minds-an-insatiable-longing-to-see-the-truth/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) [Explore all 1,068 Marcus Tullius Cicero quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) ## More Giving quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Crony capitalism is essentially a condition in which... public officials are giving favours to people in the private sector in payment of political favours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/crony-capitalism-is-essentially-a-condition-in-which-public-officials/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [Some people give you that motivation to work harder simply to get the hell away from wherever they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/some-people-give-you-that-motivation-to-work-harder-simply-to-get-the/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [You've touched people and known it. You've touched people and never may know it. Either way, you have something to give. It is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-schlessinger/you-ve-touched-people-and-known-it-you-ve-touched-people-and-never/) [Laura Schlessinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-schlessinger/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/) [Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/) > [Eternal Trinity... mystery deep as the sea, You could give me no greater gift than the gift of Yourself. For You are a fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/eternal-trinity-mystery-deep-as-the-sea-you-could-give-me-no-greater/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) [Riffat Hassan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riffat-hassan/) > [Grandma, please. It’s okay. Dad’s doing a great job. I give him kudos for at least being calm and rational, and not losing his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/grandma-please-it-s-okay-dad-s-doing-a-great-job-i-give-him-kudos-for/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [Most paper money initially existed as a substitute for gold. That's what gave it value. But right now what gives a currency value is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/most-paper-money-initially-existed-as-a-substitute-for-gold-that-s/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [Give me strength to walk the soft earth, a relative to all that is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-elk/give-me-strength-to-walk-the-soft-earth-a-relative-to-all-that-is/) [Black Elk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-elk/) > [I don't think my relationship with the idea of womanhood is that attached to giving birth... like, I'm fully aware that I'll never give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-harrison/i-don-t-think-my-relationship-with-the-idea-of-womanhood-is-that/) [Patti Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-harrison/) [Browse all 39,303 Giving quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Hours and days and months and years go by; the past returns no more, and what is to be we cannot know; but whatever the time gives us in which we live, we should therefore be content.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marcus Tullius Cicero" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/hours-and-days-and-months-and-years-go-by-the-past-returns-no-more/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Giving" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/hours-and-days-and-months-and-years-go-by-the-past-returns-no-more/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/235/marcus-tullius-cicero-157_giving_hours-and-days-and-months-and-years-go-b_513399.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/235/marcus-tullius-cicero-157_giving_hours-and-days-and-months-and-years-go-b_513399.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/235/marcus-tullius-cicero-157_giving_hours-and-days-and-months-and-years-go-b_513399.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Hours and days and months and years go by; the past returns no more, and what is to be we cannot know; but…” — Marcus Tullius Cicero", "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": "Marcus Tullius Cicero", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Hours and days and months and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/hours-and-days-and-months-and-years-go-by-the-past-returns-no-more/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/hours-and-days-and-months-and-years-go-by-the-past-returns-no-more/#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 } } ] } ```