--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is the true wine of astonishment…" description: "\"“ This is the true wine of astonishment: \"We are not over when we think we are.”\" — Alice Walker" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/alice-walker-347_aging_this-is-the-true-wine-of-astonishment-we_3020486.png" --- # This is the true wine of astonishment: "We are not over… ![“This is the true wine of astonishment: "We are not over when we think we are.” quote by Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/alice-walker-347_aging_this-is-the-true-wine-of-astonishment-we_3020486.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/alice-walker-347_aging_this-is-the-true-wine-of-astonishment-we_3020486.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/alice-walker-347_aging_this-is-the-true-wine-of-astonishment-we_3020486.png) > ““ This is the true wine of astonishment: "We are not over when we think we are.”” [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote suggests that our perception of being finished is often premature; true astonishment continues beyond our expectations. **In simple terms:** We often think we’re done, but we’re not. Key Takeaway Recognize ongoing possibilities beyond perceived endings. Themes humility self-awareness growth Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal reflection - creative projects - career transitions Key Concepts perception astonishment limits Questions to Reflect On - What signs indicate you’re still in progress? - How can you stay open to continued wonder? A Different Perspective Assuming finality can limit exploration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aging/) [Alzheimer 's](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alzheimer-s/) [Astonishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astonishment/) ## Related quotes > [Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bible/thou-hast-shewed-thy-people-hard-things-thou-hast-made-us-to-drink/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bible/) > [“Thin, I think, that fabric between realities. Maybe minds aren't lost. Maybe they just slip through and find a different place to wander.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-tudor/thin-i-think-that-fabric-between-realities-maybe-minds-aren-t-lost/) [C.J. Tudor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-tudor/) > [HELPED are those who are shown the existence of the Creator's magic in the Universe; they shall experience delight and astonishment without ceasing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/helped-are-those-who-are-shown-the-existence-of-the-creator-s-magic/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [I think I'm getting a little bit of Alzheimer's. Just a little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/i-think-i-m-getting-a-little-bit-of-alzheimer-s-just-a-little/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [The simplest way to look at all these associations, between obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cancer, and Alzheimer's (not to mention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-taubes/the-simplest-way-to-look-at-all-these-associations-between-obesity/) [Gary Taubes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-taubes/) > [It occurred to me that at one point it was like I had two diseases - one was Alzheimers, and the other was knowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-occurred-to-me-that-at-one-point-it-was-like-i-had-two-diseases/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I regard music therapy as a tool of great power in many neurological disorders -- Parkinson's and Alzheimer's -- because of its unique capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-sacks/i-regard-music-therapy-as-a-tool-of-great-power-in-many-neurological/) [Oliver Sacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-sacks/) > [I am saddened when I hear these words -this is not the person I knew - because those words objectify the person suffering from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-demarco/i-am-saddened-when-i-hear-these-words-this-is-not-the-person-i-knew/) Bob DeMarco > [I'm in awe of people out there who deal with Alzheimer's, because they have to deal with death 10 times over, year after year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-wallace/i-m-in-awe-of-people-out-there-who-deal-with-alzheimer-s-because-they/) [Marcia Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-wallace/) > [“Please don't look at our scarlet A's and write us off. Look us in the eye, talk directly to us. Don't panic or take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-genova/please-don-t-look-at-our-scarlet-a-s-and-write-us-off-look-us-in-the/) [Lisa Genova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-genova/) > [You don't just wake up one day with dementia or Alzheimer's; these conditions are developmental. Even when a problem triggers the need to collect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tan-le/you-don-t-just-wake-up-one-day-with-dementia-or-alzheimer-s-these/) [Tan Le](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tan-le/) > [I loved my husband very much, and it was heartbreaking to have him develop Alzheimer's disease, and to stand by and watch him decline…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-day-o-connor/i-loved-my-husband-very-much-and-it-was-heartbreaking-to-have-him/) [Sandra Day O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-day-o-connor/) > [I have a particular passion and focus on Alzheimer's and diseases of dementia. There's just so much scientifically that we don't know, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-d-white/i-have-a-particular-passion-and-focus-on-alzheimer-s-and-diseases-of/) [Miles D. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-d-white/) > [Today is the best day I could ever have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-dees/today-is-the-best-day-i-could-ever-have/) [Rick Dees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-dees/) > [People do not realize that Alzheimer's is not old age. It is a progressive and fatal disease, and staggering amounts of people develop Alzheimer's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-kanakaredes/people-do-not-realize-that-alzheimer-s-is-not-old-age-it-is-a/) [Melina Kanakaredes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-kanakaredes/) ## More by Alice Walker > [I gave my archive to Emory University because there's a really dear friend who teaches there, Rudolph Byrd, and he's the editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-gave-my-archive-to-emory-university-because-there-s-a-really-dear/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Just be what it is that you are, and that is just fine. You don't have to be what you're not in any way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/just-be-what-it-is-that-you-are-and-that-is-just-fine-you-don-t-have/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“Remember this-- say it & know it is true: Alice loves me Alice loves me and I am not blamed for this. ... she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/remember-this-say-it-know-it-is-true-alice-loves-me-alice-loves-me/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“Only the sky above us do we hold in common.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/only-the-sky-above-us-do-we-hold-in-common/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“Why aren't you happy in America, if everyone there drives motorcars?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/why-aren-t-you-happy-in-america-if-everyone-there-drives-motorcars/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“She saw poetry where other writers merely saw failure to cope with English.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/she-saw-poetry-where-other-writers-merely-saw-failure-to-cope-with/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [My mother had handed down respect for the possibilities...and the will to grasp them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/my-mother-had-handed-down-respect-for-the-possibilities-and-the-will/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Helped are those who are content to be themselves; they will never lack mystery in their lives and the joys of self-discovery will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/helped-are-those-who-are-content-to-be-themselves-they-will-never/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“As others might prepare for an exam whose subject matter is unknown to them, so I must study, cram, for every conversation with my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/as-others-might-prepare-for-an-exam-whose-subject-matter-is-unknown/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [The original crime of niggers and lesbians is that they prefer themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/the-original-crime-of-niggers-and-lesbians-is-that-they-prefer/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [My mother was very strong. Once, she picked up a coconut and smashed it against my father's head. It taught me about women defending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/my-mother-was-very-strong-once-she-picked-up-a-coconut-and-smashed-it/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Many readers fail to realize this, but 'The Color Purple' is a theological text. It is about the reclamation of one's original God: the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/many-readers-fail-to-realize-this-but-the-color-purple-is-a/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [The good news may be that Nature is phasing out the white man, but the bad news is that's who She thinks we all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/the-good-news-may-be-that-nature-is-phasing-out-the-white-man-but-the/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Humans - whatever billions we are - we don't have the control. We are considered expendable, basically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/humans-whatever-billions-we-are-we-don-t-have-the-control-we-are/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [All my life I had to fight. I had to fight my daddy. I had to fight my uncles. I had to fight my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/all-my-life-i-had-to-fight-i-had-to-fight-my-daddy-i-had-to-fight-my/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) [Explore all 654 Alice Walker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) ## More Aging quotes > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [In the past 40 years, the United States lost more than a million farmers and ranchers. Many of our farmers are aging. Today, only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/in-the-past-40-years-the-united-states-lost-more-than-a-million/) [Tom Vilsack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-vilsack/) > [We'll never be as young as we are tonight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/we-ll-never-be-as-young-as-we-are-tonight/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“Prayer of an Anonymous Abbess: Lord, thou knowest better than myself that I am growing older and will soon be old. Keep me from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/prayer-of-an-anonymous-abbess-lord-thou-knowest-better-than-myself/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The more I produce, the less I am certain. On the road along which the artist walks, night falls ever more densely. Finally, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-more-i-produce-the-less-i-am-certain-on-the-road-along-which-the/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [So often do you see collegians enter life with high resolve and lofty purpose and then watch them shrink and shrink to sordid, selfish,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/so-often-do-you-see-collegians-enter-life-with-high-resolve-and-lofty/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [Aging is like enlightenment at gunpoint. Before I had cancer, I lived my life for my art. After I had cancer, I lived my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-halprin/aging-is-like-enlightenment-at-gunpoint-before-i-had-cancer-i-lived/) [Anna Halprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-halprin/) > [All the dangers in our world are like a blessed wake up call. They tell us to live life NOW... not tomorrow, not when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/all-the-dangers-in-our-world-are-like-a-blessed-wake-up-call-they/) [Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) > [“You could see the signs of female aging as diseased, especially if you had a vested interest in making women too see them your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/you-could-see-the-signs-of-female-aging-as-diseased-especially-if-you/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [“It takes maturity to be able to laugh like a child again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moffat-machingura/it-takes-maturity-to-be-able-to-laugh-like-a-child-again/) [Moffat Machingura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moffat-machingura/) > [Seek ye counsel of the aged for their eyes have looked on the faces of the years and their ears have hardened to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/seek-ye-counsel-of-the-aged-for-their-eyes-have-looked-on-the-faces/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [Growing old-it's not nice, but it's interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/growing-old-it-s-not-nice-but-it-s-interesting/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) > [Anything is possible in the life of a man if he lives long enough. Even maturity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howell-raines/anything-is-possible-in-the-life-of-a-man-if-he-lives-long-enough/) [Howell Raines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howell-raines/) > [I just want to be Patty McCormack. I want to spend every year aging the way she has.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-varney/i-just-want-to-be-patty-mccormack-i-want-to-spend-every-year-aging/) [Janet Varney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-varney/) > [Maturity is reached the day we don't need to be lied to about anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-yerby/maturity-is-reached-the-day-we-don-t-need-to-be-lied-to-about-anything/) [Frank Yerby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-yerby/) [Browse all 2,792 Aging quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aging/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“ This is the true wine of astonishment: \"We are not over when we think we are.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alice Walker" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/this-is-the-true-wine-of-astonishment-we-are-not-over-when-we-think/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Aging" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/this-is-the-true-wine-of-astonishment-we-are-not-over-when-we-think/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/alice-walker-347_aging_this-is-the-true-wine-of-astonishment-we_3020486.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/alice-walker-347_aging_this-is-the-true-wine-of-astonishment-we_3020486.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/alice-walker-347_aging_this-is-the-true-wine-of-astonishment-we_3020486.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“This is the true wine of astonishment: \"We are not over when we think we are.” — Alice Walker", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alice Walker", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“ This is the true wine...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/this-is-the-true-wine-of-astonishment-we-are-not-over-when-we-think/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/this-is-the-true-wine-of-astonishment-we-are-not-over-when-we-think/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```