Instead of a backwards-looking emotion, how can nostalgia help us actualize the futures we always hoped to live?

I have always been a nostalgic person, but never for the past the way it was.

When I look back at old photos, I always look into my eyes for the “other side” of that scene. The possibilities for what could have been spring up—what if Mum and I stayed in the old house instead of moving? What if Dad lived to see me graduate?

These “what-if’s” are not regrets. They help me appreciate the time with those I love. Nostalgia has always been forward-facing; I cherish these “lost futures” because they help me live better in the present.