--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Why are instants of reunion so empty?…" description: "\"“Why are instants of reunion so empty? Perhaps because they are so anticipated, too muffled already at the moment of their coming with every previous i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e44/susan-choi-21843_time_why-are-instants-of-reunion-so-empty-per_2252606.jpg" --- # Why are instants of reunion so empty? Perhaps because they… ![“Why are instants of reunion so empty? Perhaps because they are so anticipated, too muffled already at the moment of their coming with every previous imagining to make any mark of their own.They refer backwards, to all the length of time that has refined itself as the prologue to cataclysm, and to…” quote by Susan Choi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e44/susan-choi-21843_time_why-are-instants-of-reunion-so-empty-per_2252606.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e44/susan-choi-21843_time_why-are-instants-of-reunion-so-empty-per_2252606.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e44/susan-choi-21843_time_why-are-instants-of-reunion-so-empty-per_2252606.jpg) > ““Why are instants of reunion so empty? Perhaps because they are so anticipated, too muffled already at the moment of their coming with every previous imagining to make any mark of their own.They refer backwards, to all the length of time that has refined itself as the prologue to cataclysm, and to all the flawed imaginings themselves, in each of which this moment is strangely dilated, expansive, arrested”” [Susan Choi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-choi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Anticipated reunions feel empty because expectations and past imaginings dominate, stretching the moment into something both expansive and stalled. **In simple terms:** Expected meetings feel hollow due to over‑anticipation. Key Takeaway Live in the present, not in imagined futures. Themes relationships expectation time memory anticipation Mood nostalgic reflective melancholic Type literary emotional When to use this quote - family gatherings - romantic dates - friend reunions - celebrations - personal reflections Key Concepts Psychology existentialism temporal perception Questions to Reflect On - How do you manage expectations before a reunion? - What can you focus on to stay present? A Different Perspective May cause anxiety or disappointment when reality doesn’t match imagined perfection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Prologue   May 24th, 1543 Frombork, Poland 1015 hours   The man lay on his deathbed waiting for the sweet release into nothingness. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-pauletti/prologue-may-24th-1543-frombork-poland-1015-hours-the-man-lay-on-his/) Vincent Pauletti > [From the black ocean comes the appearance of light and waves. It helps you imagine birth. 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Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) Browse all 70 Prologue quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Why are instants of reunion so empty? 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