--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whatever we had missed, we possessed…" description: "\"“Whatever we had missed, we possessed together the precious, the incommunicable past.”\" — Willa Cather" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d18/willa-cather-634_missed_whatever-we-had-missed-we-possessed-toge_1969245.png" --- # Whatever we had missed, we possessed together the… ![“Whatever we had missed, we possessed together the precious, the incommunicable past.” quote by Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d18/willa-cather-634_missed_whatever-we-had-missed-we-possessed-toge_1969245.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d18/willa-cather-634_missed_whatever-we-had-missed-we-possessed-toge_1969245.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d18/willa-cather-634_missed_whatever-we-had-missed-we-possessed-toge_1969245.png) > ““Whatever we had missed, we possessed together the precious, the incommunicable past.”” [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Shared memories create a unique, indescribable bond that transcends ordinary experience. **In simple terms:** Together we hold an unspoken, precious past. Key Takeaway Value and protect shared histories. Themes memory connection nostalgia shared experience Mood reflective sentimental nostalgic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - family gatherings - long‑distance friendships - historical preservation - cultural heritage Key Concepts subjectivity interpersonal bonds time Questions to Reflect On - What unspoken moments define your relationships? - How do you honor shared histories? A Different Perspective Memories can be selective and may idealize the past. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Incommunicable Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incommunicable-past-1765271/) [Missed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/missed/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Possessed Precious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possessed-precious-3297410/) [Precious Incommunicable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/precious-incommunicable-1765273/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Now I understood that the same road was to bring us together again. Whatever we had missed, we possessed together the precious, the incommunicable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/now-i-understood-that-the-same-road-was-to-bring-us-together-again/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [“Uh, Miss Carlson," I said, standing at her desk after everybody else had gone on to their next class, "somebody told me you went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-e-hinton-2/uh-miss-carlson-i-said-standing-at-her-desk-after-everybody-else-had/) [S.E. Hinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-e-hinton-2/) > [I managed to get onto 'The Hobbit,' which is a story in itself. I missed the main round of auditions but managed to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-stevens/i-managed-to-get-onto-the-hobbit-which-is-a-story-in-itself-i-missed/) [Conan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-stevens/) > [I've missed out on a European Cup final because I was injured three weeks beforehand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-o-neill/i-ve-missed-out-on-a-european-cup-final-because-i-was-injured-three/) [Martin O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-o-neill/) > [I have a very low tolerance for boredom and often think I would have missed out on books entirely if Id grown up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-yancey/i-have-a-very-low-tolerance-for-boredom-and-often-think-i-would-have/) [Rick Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-yancey/) > [I got this emptiness inside that got me fighting for approval because I missed out on my daddy saying, Way to Go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lecrae/i-got-this-emptiness-inside-that-got-me-fighting-for-approval-because/) [Lecrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lecrae/) > [There have been trade-offs every day, every month, every year. There's a lot that I missed and I do have regrets in that area.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-woodruff/there-have-been-trade-offs-every-day-every-month-every-year-there-s-a/) [Judy Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-woodruff/) > [Realising that no one missed you hurts, Finding out no one realised you were gone kills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/realising-that-no-one-missed-you-hurts-finding-out-no-one-realised/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I've had recurring nightmares that I was loved for who I am...and missed the opportunity to be a better man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muse/i-ve-had-recurring-nightmares-that-i-was-loved-for-who-i-am-and/) [Muse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muse/) > [Pleaseure missed today might be missed forever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ofer/pleaseure-missed-today-might-be-missed-forever/) [Ofer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ofer/) > [I'm so sorry I missed your birthday, I hope that you had a wonderful day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-so-sorry-i-missed-your-birthday-i-hope-that-you-had-a-wonderful/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“My boy doesn’t want to come out of there baby, he missed his mama.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-silver/my-boy-doesn-t-want-to-come-out-of-there-baby-he-missed-his-mama/) [Jordan Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-silver/) > [“I think I’ve missed you all my life,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-h-cosway/i-think-i-ve-missed-you-all-my-life/) [L.H. Cosway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-h-cosway/) > [I was so drunk last night I fell down and missed the floor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-martin/i-was-so-drunk-last-night-i-fell-down-and-missed-the-floor/) [Dean Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-martin/) > [What is interesting in Washington, D.C., is I've never missed a vote. The veterans' committee keeps track of hearings, and I've never missed a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-coffman/what-is-interesting-in-washington-d-c-is-i-ve-never-missed-a-vote-the/) [Mike Coffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-coffman/) ## More by Willa Cather > [The end is nothing; the road is all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/the-end-is-nothing-the-road-is-all/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [Of all the bewildering things about a new country, the absence of human landmarks is one of the most depressing and disheartening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/of-all-the-bewildering-things-about-a-new-country-the-absence-of/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [Success is less interesting than struggle. There is great pleasure in the effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/success-is-less-interesting-than-struggle-there-is-great-pleasure-in/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [“I only knew the schoolbooks said he "died in the wilderness, of a broken heart." "More than him has done that," said Antonia sadly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/i-only-knew-the-schoolbooks-said-he-died-in-the-wilderness-of-a/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [“Have the last word ma'm," he said cheerfully. "It's a lady's privilege.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/have-the-last-word-ma-m-he-said-cheerfully-it-s-a-lady-s-privilege/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > ["More than him has done that," said Antonia sadly, and the girls murmured assent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/more-than-him-has-done-that-said-antonia-sadly-and-the-girls-murmured/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [Nothing mattered ... but writing books, and living the kind of life that made it possible to write them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/nothing-mattered-but-writing-books-and-living-the-kind-of-life-that/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [“Money and office and success are the consolations of impotence. Fortune turns kind to such solid people and lets them suck their bone in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/money-and-office-and-success-are-the-consolations-of-impotence/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [But she still had that something which fires the imagination, could still stop one's breath for a moment by a look or gesture that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/but-she-still-had-that-something-which-fires-the-imagination-could/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [“You remember how homesick I used to get, and what long talks we used to have coming from school? We've someway always felt alike…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/you-remember-how-homesick-i-used-to-get-and-what-long-talks-we-used/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [“He placed this book in my grandmother's hands, looked at her entreatingly, and said, with an earnestness which I shall never forget, "Te-e-ach, te-e-ach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/he-placed-this-book-in-my-grandmother-s-hands-looked-at-her/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [The sincerity of feeling that is possible between a writer and a reader is one of the finest things I know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/the-sincerity-of-feeling-that-is-possible-between-a-writer-and-a/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [One realizes that human relationships are the tragic necessity of human life; that they can never be wholly satisfactory, that every ego is half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/one-realizes-that-human-relationships-are-the-tragic-necessity-of/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [Our tree became the talking tree of the fairy tale; legends and stories nestled like birds in its branches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/our-tree-became-the-talking-tree-of-the-fairy-tale-legends-and/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [“Isn’t it queer: there are only two or three human stories, and they go on repeating themselves as fiercely as if they had never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/isn-t-it-queer-there-are-only-two-or-three-human-stories-and-they-go/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) [Explore all 434 Willa Cather quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) ## More Missed quotes > [What is interesting in Washington, D.C., is I've never missed a vote. The veterans' committee keeps track of hearings, and I've never missed a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-coffman/what-is-interesting-in-washington-d-c-is-i-ve-never-missed-a-vote-the/) [Mike Coffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-coffman/) > [I was so drunk last night I fell down and missed the floor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-martin/i-was-so-drunk-last-night-i-fell-down-and-missed-the-floor/) [Dean Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-martin/) > [“I think I’ve missed you all my life,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-h-cosway/i-think-i-ve-missed-you-all-my-life/) [L.H. Cosway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-h-cosway/) > [“My boy doesn’t want to come out of there baby, he missed his mama.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-silver/my-boy-doesn-t-want-to-come-out-of-there-baby-he-missed-his-mama/) [Jordan Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-silver/) > [I'm so sorry I missed your birthday, I hope that you had a wonderful day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-so-sorry-i-missed-your-birthday-i-hope-that-you-had-a-wonderful/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Pleaseure missed today might be missed forever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ofer/pleaseure-missed-today-might-be-missed-forever/) [Ofer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ofer/) > [“I've had recurring nightmares that I was loved for who I am...and missed the opportunity to be a better man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muse/i-ve-had-recurring-nightmares-that-i-was-loved-for-who-i-am-and/) [Muse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muse/) > [Realising that no one missed you hurts, Finding out no one realised you were gone kills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/realising-that-no-one-missed-you-hurts-finding-out-no-one-realised/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There have been trade-offs every day, every month, every year. There's a lot that I missed and I do have regrets in that area.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-woodruff/there-have-been-trade-offs-every-day-every-month-every-year-there-s-a/) [Judy Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-woodruff/) > [I got this emptiness inside that got me fighting for approval because I missed out on my daddy saying, Way to Go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lecrae/i-got-this-emptiness-inside-that-got-me-fighting-for-approval-because/) [Lecrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lecrae/) > [I have a very low tolerance for boredom and often think I would have missed out on books entirely if Id grown up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-yancey/i-have-a-very-low-tolerance-for-boredom-and-often-think-i-would-have/) [Rick Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-yancey/) > [I've missed out on a European Cup final because I was injured three weeks beforehand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-o-neill/i-ve-missed-out-on-a-european-cup-final-because-i-was-injured-three/) [Martin O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-o-neill/) > [I managed to get onto 'The Hobbit,' which is a story in itself. I missed the main round of auditions but managed to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-stevens/i-managed-to-get-onto-the-hobbit-which-is-a-story-in-itself-i-missed/) [Conan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-stevens/) > [If I worried about things I have missed, it would lead to depression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saswata-chatterjee/if-i-worried-about-things-i-have-missed-it-would-lead-to-depression/) [Saswata Chatterjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saswata-chatterjee/) > [I missed you today and nearly cried but to keep true to my promise to you I didnt cry but to really tell you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-missed-you-today-and-nearly-cried-but-to-keep-true-to-my-promise-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 1,029 Missed quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/missed/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Whatever we had missed, we possessed together the precious, the incommunicable past.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Willa Cather" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/whatever-we-had-missed-we-possessed-together-the-precious-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Missed" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/whatever-we-had-missed-we-possessed-together-the-precious-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d18/willa-cather-634_missed_whatever-we-had-missed-we-possessed-toge_1969245.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d18/willa-cather-634_missed_whatever-we-had-missed-we-possessed-toge_1969245.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d18/willa-cather-634_missed_whatever-we-had-missed-we-possessed-toge_1969245.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Whatever we had missed, we possessed together the precious, the incommunicable past.” — Willa Cather", "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": "Willa Cather", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Whatever we had missed, we possessed...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/whatever-we-had-missed-we-possessed-together-the-precious-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/whatever-we-had-missed-we-possessed-together-the-precious-the/#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 } } ] } ```