--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But it's our curse and our blessing to…" description: "\"But it's our curse and our blessing to remember the past and to know there's a future. —Charlie\" — Susan Beth Pfeffer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/375/susan-beth-pfeffer-9577_blessing_but-it-s-our-curse-and-our-blessing-to-r_500957.png" --- # But it's our curse and our blessing to remember the past… ![“But it's our curse and our blessing to remember the past and to know there's a future. —Charlie” quote by Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/375/susan-beth-pfeffer-9577_blessing_but-it-s-our-curse-and-our-blessing-to-r_500957.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/375/susan-beth-pfeffer-9577_blessing_but-it-s-our-curse-and-our-blessing-to-r_500957.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/375/susan-beth-pfeffer-9577_blessing_but-it-s-our-curse-and-our-blessing-to-r_500957.png) > “But it's our curse and our blessing to remember the past and to know there's a future. —Charlie” [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Remembering history guides us, but also burdens us with future hopes. **In simple terms:** Past memory is both curse and blessing. Key Takeaway Balance remembrance with forward hope. Themes memory future history Mood reflective hopeful Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - education - counseling - personal reflection Key Concepts nostalgia hope burden Questions to Reflect On - How does history shape your future plans? - What can we learn without being trapped? A Different Perspective Over‑focus on past can hinder present action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blessing/) [Curse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curse/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Remembering the past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remembering-the-past/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Another day another blessing..Always remember through the stress it's the progress that feels the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/another-day-another-blessing-always-remember-through-the-stress-it-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Se Souvenir du passe, et qu'il ya un avenir: Remember the past, and that there is a future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/se-souvenir-du-passe-et-qu-il-ya-un-avenir-remember-the-past-and-that/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [I have no designs on society, or nature, or God. I am simply what I am, or I begin to be that. I live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-have-no-designs-on-society-or-nature-or-god-i-am-simply-what-i-am/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [History gives us a kind of chart, and we dare not surrender even a small rushlight in the darkness. The hasty reformer who does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-buchan/history-gives-us-a-kind-of-chart-and-we-dare-not-surrender-even-a/) [John Buchan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-buchan/) > [I am timeless being. I am free of desire or fear, because I do not remember the past or imagine the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/i-am-timeless-being-i-am-free-of-desire-or-fear-because-i-do-not/) [Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/) > [Santayana's aphorism must be reversed: too often it is those who can remember the past who are condemned to repeat it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/santayana-s-aphorism-must-be-reversed-too-often-it-is-those-who-can/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Those who remember the past tend to get the story really screwed up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/those-who-remember-the-past-tend-to-get-the-story-really-screwed-up/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Everyone tends to remember the past with greater fervor as the present gains greater importance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-svevo/everyone-tends-to-remember-the-past-with-greater-fervor-as-the/) [Italo Svevo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-svevo/) > [Instead of causing us to remember the past like the old monuments, the new monuments seem to cause us to forget the future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-smithson/instead-of-causing-us-to-remember-the-past-like-the-old-monuments-the/) [Robert Smithson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-smithson/) > [Let us remember the past with gratitude, live the present with enthusiasm, and look forward to the future with confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/let-us-remember-the-past-with-gratitude-live-the-present-with/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) > [He who cannot remember the past is condemned to remember the past. Or something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-palin/he-who-cannot-remember-the-past-is-condemned-to-remember-the-past-or/) [Sarah Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-palin/) > [One of the keys to learning for me has been to not get so hung up on the past. It's important to remember the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-st-pierre/one-of-the-keys-to-learning-for-me-has-been-to-not-get-so-hung-up-on/) [Georges St-Pierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-st-pierre/) > [Why do we remember the past, but not the future?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/why-do-we-remember-the-past-but-not-the-future/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [As the great philosopher George Santayana would have said, 'those who cannot remember the past . . . should simply read Jan Van Meter's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-rocca/as-the-great-philosopher-george-santayana-would-have-said-those-who/) [Mo Rocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-rocca/) > [I can't remember the past, or I can't see very clearly, or I've gotten older and the person I was isn't there anymore, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-ronk/i-can-t-remember-the-past-or-i-can-t-see-very-clearly-or-i-ve-gotten/) [Martha Ronk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-ronk/) ## More by Susan Beth Pfeffer > [“I never really thought about how when I look at the moon it’s the same moon Shakespeare and Marie Antoinette and George Washington and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/i-never-really-thought-about-how-when-i-look-at-the-moon-it-s-the/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) > [Great, the worlds coming to an end and we're fixing it with Band-Aids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/great-the-worlds-coming-to-an-end-and-we-re-fixing-it-with-band-aids/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) > [Maybe I'm wrong," Mom said. "Maybe the world really is coming to an end." "Should I try Fox News?" I asked. Mom shuddered. "We're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/maybe-i-m-wrong-mom-said-maybe-the-world-really-is-coming-to-an-end/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) > [“This past year I grew up to know hunger, grief, darkness, fear. I began to understand how lonely you can feel even when all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/this-past-year-i-grew-up-to-know-hunger-grief-darkness-fear-i-began/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) > [Nothing good happened to Romeo or Juliet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/nothing-good-happened-to-romeo-or-juliet/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) > [Matt looked up kids from his high school class. Only three were listed as dead, but a bunch were listed as missing/presumed dead. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/matt-looked-up-kids-from-his-high-school-class-only-three-were-listed/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) > [Even the rats are drowning,' Alex said. Nah,' Kevin said. 'They've been taking swimming lessons at the Y.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/even-the-rats-are-drowning-alex-said-nah-kevin-said-they-ve-been/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) > [What about desserts?" I asked. "If the world comes to an end, I'm going to want cookies." "We're all going to want cookies if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/what-about-desserts-i-asked-if-the-world-comes-to-an-end-i-m-going-to/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) > [“It’s amazing. I never used to like red cabbage, but now when I get only a teaspoon of it, it’s all I can think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/it-s-amazing-i-never-used-to-like-red-cabbage-but-now-when-i-get-only/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) > [I wonder if I'll ever have to decide which is worse, life as we're living or no life at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/i-wonder-if-i-ll-ever-have-to-decide-which-is-worse-life-as-we-re/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) > [“I wondered how many people had sung "By the dawn's early light' yesterday and were dead today.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/i-wondered-how-many-people-had-sung-by-the-dawn-s-early-light/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) > [Sometimes the rules don't work. Sometimes the rules cause the anarchy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/sometimes-the-rules-don-t-work-sometimes-the-rules-cause-the-anarchy/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) > [“Every day when I go to sleep I think what a jerk I was to have felt sorry for myself the day before. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/every-day-when-i-go-to-sleep-i-think-what-a-jerk-i-was-to-have-felt/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) > [...when I came back, I found Mom sobbing at the kitchen table...Then I asked her what had happened. 'Nothing,'she said. 'I was thinking about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/when-i-came-back-i-found-mom-sobbing-at-the-kitchen-table-then-i/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) > [I thought about how unlikely it was I would ever meet any guy,fall in love, get married, have babies. Especially since I was going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/i-thought-about-how-unlikely-it-was-i-would-ever-meet-any-guy-fall-in/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) [Explore all 71 Susan Beth Pfeffer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) ## More Blessing quotes > [Being a new mother is a blessing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phaedra-parks/being-a-new-mother-is-a-blessing/) [Phaedra Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phaedra-parks/) > [God loves to glorify himself by suspending his gifts and blessings on our asking him for them. We should never presume to receive from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-storms/god-loves-to-glorify-himself-by-suspending-his-gifts-and-blessings-on/) [Sam Storms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-storms/) > [When Allah puts barakah (His blessings) in something, it will come beyond your expectations- never underestimate the power of one good deed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nouman-ali-khan/when-allah-puts-barakah-his-blessings-in-something-it-will-come/) [Nouman Ali Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nouman-ali-khan/) > [Life is all about experiences and being able to work with good people is a blessing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhumika-chawla/life-is-all-about-experiences-and-being-able-to-work-with-good-people/) [Bhumika Chawla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhumika-chawla/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [“When Jesus finished teaching in a synagogue one day, a woman called out from the audience, 'God bless your mother—the womb from which you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-bessey/when-jesus-finished-teaching-in-a-synagogue-one-day-a-woman-called/) [Sarah Bessey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-bessey/) > [“I've never felt a pain that didn't bear a blessing. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-knudsen-hoffman/i-ve-never-felt-a-pain-that-didn-t-bear-a-blessing/) Gene Knudsen Hoffman > [Mechanical instruments, potentially a vehicle of rational human purposes, are scarcely a blessing when they enable the gossip of the village idiot and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/mechanical-instruments-potentially-a-vehicle-of-rational-human/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [One of the noblest words in our language is "grace," defined as "unearned blessing." We live by grace far more than by anything else.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-elton-trueblood/one-of-the-noblest-words-in-our-language-is-grace-defined-as-unearned/) [D. Elton Trueblood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-elton-trueblood/) > [The only men who become Gods, even the Sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy. Others attain unto a glory and may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigham-young/the-only-men-who-become-gods-even-the-sons-of-god-are-those-who-enter/) [Brigham Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigham-young/) > [Being of Indian heritage is a challenge - and it's a blessing as well sometimes - because being good isn't good enough. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sacha-dhawan/being-of-indian-heritage-is-a-challenge-and-it-s-a-blessing-as-well/) [Sacha Dhawan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sacha-dhawan/) > [“Time wasted can never be compensated”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/time-wasted-can-never-be-compensated/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [The Louvre! The Louvre has me in its clutches. Every time I'm there rich blessings rain down upon me. I am coming to understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-modersohn-becker/the-louvre-the-louvre-has-me-in-its-clutches-every-time-i-m-there/) [Paula Modersohn-Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-modersohn-becker/) > [Life is such a very troublesome matter, when all is said and done, that it's as well even to take its blessings quietly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-elizabeth-braddon/life-is-such-a-very-troublesome-matter-when-all-is-said-and-done-that/) [Mary Elizabeth Braddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-elizabeth-braddon/) > [Down where I grew up, able-bodied people do that which we believe God created them to do. Work is a blessing; it's not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-southerland/down-where-i-grew-up-able-bodied-people-do-that-which-we-believe-god/) [Steve Southerland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-southerland/) [Browse all 4,617 Blessing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blessing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "But it's our curse and our blessing to remember the past and to know there's a future. —Charlie", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Susan Beth Pfeffer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/but-it-s-our-curse-and-our-blessing-to-remember-the-past-and-to-know/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Blessing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/but-it-s-our-curse-and-our-blessing-to-remember-the-past-and-to-know/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/375/susan-beth-pfeffer-9577_blessing_but-it-s-our-curse-and-our-blessing-to-r_500957.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/375/susan-beth-pfeffer-9577_blessing_but-it-s-our-curse-and-our-blessing-to-r_500957.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/375/susan-beth-pfeffer-9577_blessing_but-it-s-our-curse-and-our-blessing-to-r_500957.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But it's our curse and our blessing to remember the past and to know there's a future. —Charlie” — Susan Beth Pfeffer", "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": "Susan Beth Pfeffer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "But it's our curse and our...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/but-it-s-our-curse-and-our-blessing-to-remember-the-past-and-to-know/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/but-it-s-our-curse-and-our-blessing-to-remember-the-past-and-to-know/#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 } } ] } ```