ThinAir's Thoughts: Nostalgia

Now, once again, if you know me, you know I'm a sap of a chap.
Sentimental is one of my many middle names.
That being said, Nostalgia is not a thing unfamiliar to me. This term, however, was lost on my mate, DaFizzyMan, until recently. Now I'm regretting telling him about it. Why? Cause he's wrestling with it, at the moment. But more to the point: as a whole lot of things in my life wrap up, and a whole new host of things begin, I thought I'd dedicate a post to Nostalgia.
Now, according to the dictionary, Nostalgia is:
A bittersweet longing for people, places, and situations of the past.
Bittersweet. Hmmm.
Shall we define this, too? Again, from the dictionary:
Both pleasant and painful.
Now that's more like it.
You laugh at the memories, then cry because that's all they are: memories.
You rejoice in the times past, then can't believe they're gone.
This, my readers, is nostalgia. But often, there is another element.
Regret.
Thats right: Nostalgia sometimes not only wants to relive the past, but redo the past.
Now, this is different from plain remorse or guilt. Those who feel this kind of Nostalgia don't want to erase the past, out of any hate or guilt or sadness. Rather, they want to add to the past. They want to be able to notice and revel in those little things that they can only appreciate now, looking back. They wish they had said more, done more, lived more of that beautiful life, while it was still there. And this kind of Nostalgia is often the most painful.
That's the thing about time. You only come to grips with it when its gone.
Thank God, though. Because things come in cycles. That thing you miss, usually comes around again.
Some may have to wait a mere month.
I'll have to wait one long summer.
DaFizzyMan will have to wait two painful years.
And others, until God finally calls them home.
But no matter the hold time, no matter the distance, no matter the time you have to wait-
Those times will return. They may not be exactly the same, they never are. But they will return.
And in all this, Nostalgia helps:
When that time comes around again, you'll be ready to live it.