Revisiting Nostalgia
What keeps you going when you feel wistful, sad, or longing for what once was?
At this time last year, my husband and I were preparing to leave home for five months to travel around the world.
I can still feel the giddy excitement. The packing. The goodbyes to dear friends and loved ones. The drive to the airport on a gorgeous December day, buoyed by the anticipation of something big and epic that is yet to play itself out.
I also feel how my expansive reveries can suddenly take a turn — punctured by the realization of a longing for something that has already been; a happy-sad ache that tugs squarely at my heart.
There is actually a Portuguese word for this feeling: saudade.
Saudade (English: /saʊˈdɑːdə/, European Portuguese: [sɐwˈðaðɨ], Brazilian Portuguese: [sawˈdadʒi], is an emotional state of melancholic or profoundly nostalgic longing for a beloved yet absent something or someone. It is often associated with a repressed understanding that one might never encounter the object of longing ever again. It is a recollection of feelings, experiences, places, or events, often elusive, that cause a sense of separation from the exciting, pleasant, or joyous sensations they once caused. It derives from the Latin word for solitude.1
What keeps you going when you feel wistful, or sad, or longing for what once was and good times gone by?
Noticing and naming the ache for starters helps me.
Allowing the pangs of loss, or missing out, or sadness to come as they often do, in waves, and feeling them move through me, not as some story I’ve built up in my head, but as energy.
This is when I might create a photo album, or make a video reel to great music on Instagram, as a way to process, celebrate, and anchor the expansive energy of the experience. Making art has a way of lifting me out of the nostalgic rabbit hole and renewing my sense of purpose.
I do these things not to fuel a sadness for what is past, but to fuel a possibility for what can create more of in future.
What would you say was the biggest gift or highlight you experienced in 2023? How would you like to acknowledge, honor, or process it?
Tell us in the comments and let’s build the energy for more in ‘24!
Ahhh 🫶🏼🎉
A Moment of celebration and hope
A video by Stephanie Bennett Vogt
I made this video in Fort Lauderdale, Florida the night before we set sail on our 5-month world adventure around the world. As you can see, the energy that night was electric and very festive. A perfect launch to what would be the highlight of my 2023.
May this one-minute snapshot of holiday spirit fuel your sense of boundless joy, hope, and possibility.
(With apologies for the abrupt end to the music while the video was still rolling).
And PS, if you’re curious to travel virtually around the world following our path, you might enjoy the images and reels I posted on Instagram chronicling our adventure.
You’ll find them under Highlights. Click where it says “World 1,” and it will take you through our journey as we experienced it in real time. Be sure to turn up the sound. There’s some great music in there too!
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In case you missed it…
Finding the Perfect in the Imperfect
What imperfect conditions can reveal when we dance with them (and let go of our attachment to them)…
I like your reframing of how we view our wistful feelings and then doing the fun practical things like making an album or video to create energy. I think I'll be doing that to move forward when I feel too wistful. What a nice tidy word heh? Wistful.
I was laid off from my job back in September. First time I've been laid off from a job in years.
I did not stress about it too much as I knew I'd land on my feet like I always do. I started a new job December 4th doing the same exact type of work I was doing. Also remotely for my home. I am truly blessed and feel so thankful for this job and this is my Christmas present!