Then and Now

I’ve been reflecting on the nature of time, on the notion of a past and a future as separate from what is happening right now. I wonder if there might be something comforting about the idea of a future, whether near or distant, in that it will be in some way better than this moment. The idea of a past may provide similar comfort, informing how exactly we’d like to improve this moment in the future (e.g., my current thoughts of “maybe I’ll go get a latte… I got one yesterday and enjoyed it…” - there is something comforting about this possibility, even if it might also take away from my ability to be totally satisfied and content right now - it maintains the possibility of something even just slightly better than this). But what if the following statement was true:

Then was now and then will be now.

I don’t really have a point to make or an opinion to exert with this statement, but when I feel the immensity of what it means to me, it can be both totally liberating and a bit terrifying. Are then and now different?