And enough for me that when my hand touched your shoulder, you leaned on me; and when you felt me slip away, you called my name.
If he was a good man, how could he leave me? So he must not be a good man. But if he isn't good, then why does it hurt so much to lose him?
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the emotional conflict of losing someone you care about, questioning their character while grappling with the pain of loss.
This quote captures the inner turmoil experienced when a loved one departs. The speaker wrestles with the contradiction of holding both love and disappointment for the individual, suggesting that feelings toward someone can be both deeply affectionate and painfully complicated. It illustrates the struggle of reconciling the hurt caused by someone who might have flaws with the deep emotional bond that remains, highlighting the complexity of human relationships.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be shared during a support group for those dealing with heartbreak.
More from Orson Scott Card
All quotes →The world is always a democracy in times of flux, and the man with the best voice will win.
Never mind that the story had turned out to be lies and foolishness—there was always folks stupid enough to say, Where there's smoke there's fire, when the saying should have been, Where there's scandalous lies there's always malicious believers and spreaders-around, regardless of evidence.
The lives of all people flow through time, and, regardless of how brutal one moment may be, how filled with grief or pain or fear, time flows through all lives equally.
You take a step, then another. That's the journey. But to take a step with your eyes open is not a journey at all, it's a remaking of your own mind.
I've had your tears with mine, and you've had mine with yours. I think that's more intimate even than a kiss.
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I married the first man I ever kissed. When I tell this to my children, they just about throw up.
It's something most people of color and most women have been burdened with their whole lives, having to suppress your natural emotion to make everybody else feel comfortable. Repeatedly having to do that takes its toll.
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