“These Years Are Endless, But They Cannot Be Remembered.”

“Look, Papa.”

“It’s a rhinoceros beetle,” he tells her.

“Mama!” she cries. “Look! A rhinoceros beetle!”

She is nine. Danny is seven. These years are endless, but they cannot be remembered.

–James Salter, Light Years

 

This quotation reminds me of my own Splendid Truth: The days are long, but the years are short. Of everything I’ve ever written, I think this one-minute video, The Years Are Short, has resonated most with people.