The quote from Diana Gabaldon's "An Echo in the Bone" reflects on the profound interconnectedness of loss. It suggests that every individual loss contributes to a universal experience of grief. When one person dies, it touches others deeply and resonates throughout their memories, shaping how they remember the past. This emphasizes that each death is not an isolated incident but part of a larger emotional tapestry.

The mention of a "key to the gate that bars memory" implies that loss holds the power to unlock or hinder our recollections. It points to the idea that the pain of losing someone can either bring memories flooding back or create obstacles that make it difficult to engage with those memories. Ultimately, this speaks to the complex relationship between loss and memory, showing how they influence each other in our lives.