Why Do We Love Looking Back?
From What Fresh Hell: Parenting, Relationships, and Making Life Better, with Two Funny Moms by Margaret Ables and Amy Wilson
May 27, 2026 · 45 min · Episode 470
About this episode
This episode explores the emotional pull of nostalgia and its connection to parenting and midlife transitions.
Sign up for WFH Plus at http://whatfreshhell.supportingcast.fm/! How does the powerful emotional pull of nostalgia connect to that midlife feeling of "how did I get here?" Why do we love looking back? In this episode, we discuss: Why nostalgia increases during periods of transition and uncertainty (aging parents, growing children, career reckonings) The psychology and science behind nostalgia and memory Why parents often romanticize the baby and toddler years How nostalgia can deepen meaning, connection, and self-understanding Healthy ways to honor memories without getting stuck in the past Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode: University of Florida Medical Physiology Online: The Psychology of Nostalgia Emily Reynolds for The British Psychological Society: We feel more nostalgic as we get older Clay Routledge for the Institute for Family Studies: Nostalgia Reveals the Importance of Family and Close Relationships Joe Keohane for the Boston Globe: Why Does Parenthood Make Us Nostalgic? Hannah Seligson for the NYT: Being a Mother Is Hard Work. Is It Actually Harder on Millennial Moms? "The House That Built Me" by Miranda Lambert What Fresh Hell is…
People in this episode
Hosts: Margaret Ables, Amy Wilson
Topics covered
- nostalgia
- parenting
- memory
- midlife transitions
- emotional connection
- self-understanding
Keywords
- nostalgia
- parenthood
- memory
- transition
- psychology
- self-understanding
- baby years
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: University of Florida Medical Physiology Online, The British Psychological Society, Institute for Family Studies, Boston Globe, NYT
Books & works: The House That Built Me
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