The Slowdown, Episode 1389: Sehnsucht by Michael Dumanis

Host: Maggie Smith
Date: November 5, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Maggie Smith reflects on the bittersweet experience of aging, both as a parent and an individual, and explores the German word "Sehnsucht"—a deep, yearning longing—through Michael Dumanis’s evocative poem. The theme centers on how longing, gratitude, and the everyday magic of watching one's children grow can connect us to deeper truths about ourselves and life.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Childhood and the Excitement of Aging

[00:51–02:10]

• Maggie shares personal reflections on her children growing up, noting the palpable excitement children feel about each birthday and the milestones they mark.
• She highlights the difference between how we experience birthdays as children (full of anticipation and possibility) and as adults (with complexity, nostalgia, and reflection).
• Quote:

  "Aging feels different as an adult, but every birthday is an opportunity to take stock and to be grateful for the years we've lived. Who knows what we might be turning toward or into when we turn a year older?" — Maggie Smith, 01:22

2. Introduction to "Sehnsucht"

[02:12–02:30]

• Maggie introduces the German word "Sehnsucht," describing it as a longing or yearning that is both expansive and existential.
• She notes how the poem uses this feeling to reframe everyday experiences, creating a sense of both magic and ache.

Featured Poem: "Sehnsucht" by Michael Dumanis

[02:31–05:07]

Summary and Highlights:

• The poem centers on the poet's daughter at age six ("her favorite year ever") and her anticipation that seven will be even better—a child’s boundless hope.
• Vivid imagery captures fleeting youth and parental reflection:
  • "Her dress spins down the corridor… billowing like the memory of a chocolate souffle."
• The poet meditates on his own aging, feeling the pull of both nostalgia and "Sehnsucht"—not just for what is past, but for something indefinably missing.
• The poem shifts between moments of whimsical parental pride and existential musings about identity and recognition:
  • "Meanwhile, I am becoming unrecognizable to everyone except myself, and it does not matter before it is time to resemble no one."
• The father’s participation in his child’s joy is both grounding and fleeting:
  • "This ardent daughter clinging to my hand as though it was God's hand on a church ceiling."
• The poem ends with a quiet acceptance and satisfaction in shared experiences:
  • "We took turns licking the strawberry ice cream. In this knowledge I feel content."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On longing and yearning:

  “I feel not so much nostalgia as Sehnsucht, the desire for something missing. Vertigo.”
  — Michael Dumanis, recited by Maggie Smith, 03:37

• On aging and recognition:

  "Meanwhile, I am becoming unrecognizable to everyone except myself, and it does not matter before it is time to resemble no one. I have had the mixed fortune to resemble most things."
  — Michael Dumanis, recited by Maggie Smith, 04:14

• Parenting and presence:

  “This ardent daughter clinging to my hand as though it was God's hand on a church ceiling. We took turns licking the strawberry ice cream. In this knowledge I feel content.”
  — Michael Dumanis, recited by Maggie Smith, 04:54

Important Timestamps

• [00:51] – Maggie Smith’s opening personal reflection on aging and parenting.
• [02:12] – Introduction of the poem’s theme and the concept of "Sehnsucht."
• [02:31] – Full recitation of "Sehnsucht" by Michael Dumanis.

Tone & Language

• Maggie’s tone is gentle, reflective, and empathetic. The language is intimate, blending everyday observations with poetic insight.
• The poem itself, as read by Maggie, combines wonder, melancholy, pride, and desire for connection—a meditation woven through with lyrical, tactile imagery.

Conclusion

This episode of The Slowdown invites listeners to view aging, both their children’s and their own, through the lens of “Sehnsucht”—a sweetness mixed with longing for what’s passing and what lies ahead. Maggie Smith’s reflections and the selected poem remind us that the act of paying attention, whether to birthdays, fleeting moments, or even our own feelings of yearning, holds the promise of contentment and connection.