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A Grief Observed

Her absence is like the sky, spread over everything.

Her absence is no more emphatic in those places than anywhere else. It’s not local at all. I suppose if one were forbidden all salt one wouldn’t notice it much more in any one food more than another. Eating in general would be different, every day, at every meal. It is like that. The act of living is different all through. Her absence is like the sky, spread over everything.

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Elizabeth Bowen

the senses know that absence blots people out. We have really no absent friends.

The heart may think it knows better: the senses know that absence blots people out. We have really no absent friends.

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François de la Rochefoucauld

Absence diminishes commonplace passions and increases great ones

Absence diminishes commonplace passions and increases great ones, as the wind extinguishes candles and kindles fire.

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Nicholas Rowe

The joys of meeting pay the pangs of absence; else who could bear it?

The joys of meeting pay the pangs of absence; else who could bear it?

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James Thomson

Absence, with all its pains, is, by this charming moment, wiped away.

Absence, with all its pains, is, by this charming moment, wiped away.

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George Bernard Shaw

When our relatives are at home, we have to think of all their good points or it would be impossible to endure them. But when they are away, we console ourselves for their absence by dwelling on their vices.

Captain Shotover: When our relatives are at home, we have to think of all their good points or it would be impossible to endure them. But when they are away, we console ourselves for their absence by dwelling on their vices.

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Brendan Behan

When I came back to Dublin, I was courtmartialled in my absence and sentenced to death in my absence, so I said they could shoot me in my absence.

When I came back to Dublin, I was courtmartialled in my absence and sentenced to death in my absence, so I said they could shoot me in my absence.

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Umberto Eco

Absence is to love as wind to fire; it extinguishes the little flame, it fans the big.

Absence is to love as wind to fire; it extinguishes the little flame, it fans the big.

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Thomas Haynes Bayly

Absence makes the heart grow fonder:

Absence makes the heart grow fonder:
Isle of Beauty, fare thee well!

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The Blind Assassin

Farewells can be shattering, but returns are surely worse.

Farewells can be shattering, but returns are surely worse. Solid flesh can never live up to the blind shadow cast by its absence.

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The Blind Assassin

Better not to invent her in her absence.

Better not to invent her in her absence. Better to wait until she’s actually here. Then he can make her up as she goes along.