"The Beauties of the Past"

"Nothing can make up for the absence of someone whom we love.  It is nonsense to say that God fills the gap; He doesn't fill it, but on the contrary, He keeps it empty and so helps us to keep alive our former communication with each other, even at the cost of pain. The dearer and richer our memories, the more difficult the separation.  But gratitude changes the pangs of memory into a tranquil joy.  The beauties of the past are borne, not as a thorn in the flesh, but as a precious gift in themselves."

Dietrich Bonhoeffer