I had been praying for some time about an ache in my shinbones. During this time I phoned a Christian Science practitioner for metaphysical help with this and different problems. One day I complained to her that I was missing things that had previously been in my life, such as my children, friends, activities, and different places I had lived. 

The practitioner stopped me right there and pointed out that clinging to the past is human emotionalism that would weigh us down. We live in the now, she said. We don’t negate the good we have previously enjoyed, but we can’t let nostalgia color our present with a sense of loss. She emphasized that man is the complete reflection of God, and that this reflection is going on right now. 

Not long afterward, I read that the word nostalgia has roots in Greek words that include meanings such as homecoming and pain. At one time it was associated with acute homesickness. When I read that, the constant throbbing in my legs stopped immediately. This prompted me to explore further the concept of homesickness.