Our lives are shaped as much by those who leave us as they are by those who stay. Loss is our legacy. Insight is our gift. Memory is our guide
Hope EdelmanRead
I am fooling only myself when I say that my mother exists now only in the photographs on my bulletin board or in the outline of my hand or in the armful of memories I still hold tight. She lives on beneath everything I do. Her presence influenced who I was and her absence influences who I am. Our lives are shaped as much by those who leave us as they are by those who stay. Loss is our legacy. Insight is our gift. Memory is our guide.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the lasting impact of loved ones who have passed away and how their influence continues to shape our lives.
In this quote, Hope Edelman reflects on the enduring presence of a lost loved one, particularly a mother. She suggests that although her mother may no longer be physically present, the memories and influence of her life remain integral to her own identity. The quote suggests that loss is not just an absence but a complex legacy that shapes our experiences and relationships. Through memories, we find guidance and insight, acknowledging that those who leave us profoundly affect who we become.
Themes
LossMemoryInfluenceFamilyLegacyGrief
In practice
Example use cases
In a eulogy for a loved one, one might say, 'Although they are gone, their influence will forever guide us.'
More from Hope Edelman
All quotes →When a daughter loses a mother, the intervals between grief responses lengthen over time, but her longing never disappears. It always hovers at the edge of her awareness, prepared to surface at any time, in any place, in the least expected ways.
Hope EdelmanRead
a mother's death also means the loss of the consistent, supportive family system that once supplied her with a secure home base, she then has to develop her self-confidence and self-esteem through alternate means. Without a mother or mother-figure to guide her, a daughter also has to piece together a female self-image of her own.
Hope EdelmanRead
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