Nostalgia

nɑˈstældʒə

noun

a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations

Nostalgia is a complex emotion that encompasses both joy and sadness, as it involves reflecting on pleasant memories from the past. It can be triggered by various stimuli such as smells, sounds, or sights.

For a moment the gunslinger felt mixed feelings of nostalgia and fear, stitched in with an eerie feeling of deja vu — he thought: I dreamed this.

Stephen King

The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, Book 1)

She and Amy used to hold their “teas” there when they were little girls, Frannie remembered with a sudden stab of nostalgia that was unexpectedly painful, back in the days when they could still cry over the ending of Charlotte's Web and moan happily over Chuckie Mayo, the cutest boy in school.

King, Stephen

The Stand

The memories from those days are the most compelling paintings in the mind—to which, with nostalgia or dread, you must ever return.

Gregory Maguire

Confessions of an Ugly Step Sister

All the mailboxes have been unbolted and used to decorate the apartments of nostalgia freaks.

Neal Stephenson

Snow Crash

The haze of nostalgia covers their days among their sisters, making those days into something different than they were.

Frank Herbert

God Emperor of Dune