It always is harder to be left behind than to be the one to go...

The line contrasts two kinds of pain in separation: the active sorrow of leaving versus the passive ache of remaining. Thoene’s phrasing suggests that departure, however difficult, at least contains agency and forward motion, while being “left behind” can feel like abandonment, powerlessness, and suspended time. The ellipsis underscores an unfinished emotional reality—grief that continues after the moment of parting. As a reflection on love, friendship, or family bonds, the quote highlights how loss is often experienced most sharply by those who must absorb the absence and rebuild daily life around it, rather than by those who move on to a new place or chapter.