Fortune Cookie Friday: Nothing Loved Is Ever Truly Lost
Have you ever lost something important? Have you ever wished bon voyage to a close friend? Life’s hard enough without also having to live without the things—or the people—we love.
Today’s fortune offers a beautiful reminder of the joy that can follow sorrow:
“Sorrow of parting will bring happiness of reunification.”
This message instantly brought to mind several classic quotes:
“The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again.” — Charles Dickens
“Absence makes the heart grow fonder…” — Thomas Haynes Bayly
“Parting is such sweet sorrow.” — William Shakespeare
It also reminded me of the time I was packing for an Adirondack canoe trip and misplaced my waterproof smartphone case. I was a neurotic mess—tearing the house apart while my husband gently suggested I calm down. The relief when I finally found it was immeasurable. All that worry melted away, and I could paddle in peace.
Of course, the same truth applies far beyond lost objects. People pass in and out of our lives, and their departures can leave a real void—whether they move away for school or work, or leave this world entirely. Most of us don’t like that kind of change.
Yet change can also invite growth. As Mr. Nibbler says in A Tale of Two Squirrels, “A void never stays a void for long.” That emptiness eventually fills with new happiness, new purpose, or the sweetness of reunion.
The Bible is full of such stories. Joseph’s tearful reunion with his father Jacob after years of grief… The father running to embrace his wayward Prodigal Son… And during this Easter season, Jesus’ own words to His disciples: “Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy” (John 16:22 NIV).
Reunions—whether with lost items, old friends, or ultimately with loved ones in eternity—remind us that sorrow and joy are often intertwined. We are never truly apart from what we love as long as we hold their memories in our hearts.
And until we meet again, let me leave you with this comforting truth:
“Nothing loved is ever lost.”
