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"غیبت خانه‌ای است چنان وسیع که درون آن از میان دیوارهایش عبور می‌کنی و تصاویر را روی هوا آویزان می‌کنی"

Pablo Neruda
Pablo Neruda Poet
Translations
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Quote meaning
Let's dive into this, shall we? The core idea of this quote is about how the feeling of absence or longing can create a vast, almost tangible space within us. It's like missing someone or something so profoundly that their absence occupies a large part of your inner world. You start to live within this space of longing, decorating it with memories and hopes, much like hanging pictures on walls that aren’t there.

Think about a time when someone dear to you was away for a long spell. Maybe it was a partner, a family member, or a close friend. The emptiness they left behind wasn’t just a void—it was a vast, echoing space that you navigated daily. You’d find yourself reminiscing, replaying old conversations, and imagining future ones. That’s the “hanging pictures on the air” part—filling the emptiness with fragments of what was and what could be.

Let’s wind the clock back a bit to give this more context. This kind of sentiment is particularly relatable during times of separation caused by war, migration, or even long travels. Consider the soldiers of World War II, who left their families behind for years. Letters and photographs became precious tokens that filled their vast, empty spaces of absence. The longing, the hoping, the remembering—it’s all part of the human experience.

Now, picture this. There’s a woman named Sarah whose husband, Mike, is deployed overseas. Every day, she walks through their home, feeling the weight of his absence. She sits at the kitchen table, where they used to share morning coffee, and imagines their conversations. She keeps his side of the bed neatly made—an odd comfort. She even talks to his photograph now and then, as if her words could travel through the air to wherever he is. In essence, she's hanging those pictures on the air, making the emptiness a bit more bearable.

So, how can you apply this wisdom in your life? When you’re dealing with the absence of someone or something significant, embrace that space. Fill it with positive memories and hopeful thoughts. Create rituals or small habits that keep you connected to what you’re missing. It’s okay to feel the emptiness, but it’s also okay to decorate it with the beautiful “pictures” of your memories and dreams.

Here’s a little story for you. Imagine you’ve moved to a new city for a job. You’ve left behind a close-knit group of friends, and it feels like there’s this huge, empty house inside you now. Instead of letting that emptiness consume you, you start a ritual. Every Sunday, you call one of your friends and have a virtual coffee date. You share stories about your week, laugh about old times, and plan future visits. Gradually, this ritual becomes a cherished part of your routine. The empty house inside you isn’t so vast anymore—it's filled with the warmth of those virtual coffee dates.

In essence, the quote speaks to the human ability to adapt to absence by creating mental and emotional spaces that help us cope. It’s about resilience, creativity, and the power of memory and hope. So next time you’re feeling that yawning gap of absence, remember—you’ve got the power to hang some beautiful pictures on that air.
Related tags
Absence Distance Emptiness Imagination Loneliness Longing Loss Memory Solitude Space
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