ABANDONED. Read in last decade, looking for a paragraph about an interesting life instead of a happy one

[Alix]

I'm sorry this post is so scarce on details! I'm looking for a particular passage from a book I've read in the last ten years, probably adult fiction but could also be YA, or something like Harry Potter, even. I can only remember a little about the passage and wish to find out what book it was from.

The paragraph I'm looking for is an older man speaking to a young man, wishing him an interesting life, as a happy life is boring and unrealistic, and he wishes the young man to have an interesting, full life of love and pain and everything else.

I have a feeling there was a time travel element involved somehow, or some non-standard relationship between the two men (e.g. not relatives, friends or lovers), but I may be confusing that with another book.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Alix, are you still looking for this or did you find it?

[Alix]

Lobstergirl wrote: "Alix, are you still looking for this or did you find it?"

Still hoping that someone comes along and recognises it :)

[[deleted user]]

Rats, this sounds familiar but I can't isolate it--if I do, I'll be back!

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Still looking now?

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

No response, moving to Abandoned.