“Wasn't it better if they kept this desire to see each other hidden within them, and never actually got together? That way, there would always be hope in their hearts. That hope would be a small, yet vital flame that warmed them to their core-- a tiny flame to cup one's hands around and protect from the wind, a flame that the violent winds of reality might easily extinguish.”
— Haruki Murakami
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Is there a dream or a feeling you hold close to your heart just to keep it safe? ✨ Haruki Murakami beautifully captures this sentiment: “Wasn't it better if they kept this desire to see each other hidden within them... a tiny flame to cup one's hands around and protect from the wind.” Sometimes, the beauty lies in the longing itself. Share your thoughts below. 👇
About this quote
Sometimes, the most beautiful things in life aren't the ones we grasp with our hands, but the ones we hold sacred in the quietest corners of our souls. We are often taught that fulfillment only comes from realization—that to love or to achieve, we must possess. But there is a profound, bittersweet wisdom in the beauty of longing. By keeping certain desires tucked away, we protect them from the friction of reality, allowing them to remain pure, untarnished, and eternally alive in our imagination. This internal flame of hope is what sustains us when the world feels cold and overwhelming. It is a form of emotional resilience; a private sanctuary where our dreams can burn brightly without being extinguished by the harsh winds of circumstance. Learning to cherish the 'almost' and the 'not yet' allows us to carry a source of warmth wherever we go, reminding us that the capacity to hope is, in itself, a beautiful way to live.
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Photo by Thays Orrico on Unsplash
