Nostalgia

There is no greater sorrow
Than to recall a happy time
When miserable.

Dante Alighieri

Recently, I visited the city that I grew up in. Driving streets past familiar places and spending time with my childhood best friend made me feel a bit nostalgic.  Since I am usually more of a live-in-the-present person, it’s a rather alien feeling, though perhaps one that is experience more as I grow older. Anyhow, being one who very much enjoys words and language, particularly the connotative meanings (nuanced feelings behind words), I looked up the word “nostalgia” to read about the word’s origins and history. And what an interesting history I discovered!

The word “nostalgia” comes from two root word parts; “algos” implies pain, grief, or distress while “”nostos”implies homecoming. The word is first used in French army medical journals as an ailment, generally referenced to injured Swiss soldiers. It is discussed a sometimes quite serious ailment, combining with disease or injury to debilitate soldiers to the point of death. In the American Civil War, it was considered a factor in lack of recovery from wounds. Eventually, though, the word “nostalgia” came to mean intense homesickness for a place and/or a time of life.

So what is the takeaway from all this history and trivia?  Bottom line is that we can’t try to live in the past. Not only do places and times change, but people change, including ourselves. It’s as it should be. We can learn from the past and cherish good memories of loved ones and experiences and places, but we live in the NOW…where there is still an opportunity to love others and experience joy.

So, if you are feeling a bit nostalgic, keep in mind that the occasional stroll down memory lane is fine and healthy, but the path of “now and tomorrow” is the invitation to moving forward in life. Trust God and keep on walking!