Every moment Quote by Niall Williams
““It's because people are so perishable. That's the thing. Because for everyone you meet there is a last moment, there will be a last moment when your hand slips from theirs, and everything ripples outwards from that, the last firmness of a hand in yours that every moment after becomes a little less firm until you look down at your own hand and try to imagine just what it felt like before their hand slipped away. And you cannot. You cannot feel them. And then you cannot quite see them, there's blurry bits, like you're looking through this watery haze, and you're fighting to see, you're fighting to hold on, but they are perishing right before your eyes, and right before your eyes they are becoming that bit more ghost.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Literary Discussion, 2015
Williams describes the fleeting nature of human connection, likening lost touch to a hand slipping away, leaving only vague memories.
In simple terms: Human bonds are fragile and fade, leaving only hazy recollections.
Key Takeaway
Cherish moments before they slip away.
Themes
mortality
connection
memory
Mood
nostalgic
melancholic
Type
literary
reflective
When to use this quote
- bereavement
- friendship
- family gatherings
Key Concepts
ephemerality
loss
grief
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you preserve memories of lost loved ones?
- Can fleeting moments be made lasting?
A Different Perspective
Human connections can also deepen over time despite loss.
![“[I]n Africa I was a member of a family—of a sort of family that the people of your culture haven't known for thousands of years. If gorillas were capable of such an expression, they would tell you that their family is like a hand, of which they are the fingers. They are fully aware of being a…” quote by Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9c4/daniel-quinn-1786_capable_i-n-africa-i-was-a-member-of-a-family-of_496819.jpg)
![“[Roger] “Do you know how amazingly beautiful you are to me?” “As beautiful as you are to me.” She slid her gaze down then back up with one of those secret smiles that played havoc with a man’s mind. He shook his head. “Nah, I couldn’t be, because you’d be insane with your need to just watch me…” quote by J.L. Saint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dba/j-l-saint-47274_every-moment_roger-do-you-know-how-amazingly-beautifu_2910.jpg)
