...love is like health. It is taken lightly when present and cherished when it departs.
The quote from Naguib Mahfouz's "Palace Walk" compares love to health, suggesting that both are often undervalued until they are lost. When we are healthy, we might take it for granted, just as we can overlook the importance of love in our lives when we are experiencing it. This analogy highlights the tendency of people to appreciate only what they no longer have.