--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It dances on the air for a moment before…" description: "\"“It dances on the air for a moment before it falls, too. A fresh gust of wind almost saves it, but a worker catches sight of it and lifts a tube up to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/218/ally-condie-434_guilt_it-dances-on-the-air-for-a-moment-before_2794525.jpg" --- # It dances on the air for a moment before it falls, too. A… ![“It dances on the air for a moment before it falls, too. A fresh gust of wind almost saves it, but a worker catches sight of it and lifts a tube up to suck the paper from the air, to suck the words from the sky. I'm sorry, Grandfather.” quote by Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/218/ally-condie-434_guilt_it-dances-on-the-air-for-a-moment-before_2794525.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/218/ally-condie-434_guilt_it-dances-on-the-air-for-a-moment-before_2794525.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/218/ally-condie-434_guilt_it-dances-on-the-air-for-a-moment-before_2794525.jpg) > ““It dances on the air for a moment before it falls, too. A fresh gust of wind almost saves it, but a worker catches sight of it and lifts a tube up to suck the paper from the air, to suck the words from the sky. I'm sorry, Grandfather.”” [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A fleeting moment of hope is snatched away by a harsh reality, showing how fragile dreams can be when confronted with control forces. **In simple terms:** Hope is quickly taken by harsh reality. Key Takeaway Recognize and protect fragile moments. Themes hope fragility control loss Mood melancholy reflective Type literary poetic When to use this quote - personal loss - creative struggle - societal oppression - protecting art Key Concepts impermanence power dynamics dreams Questions to Reflect On - What moments in your life feel too fragile to hold? - How do you guard your dreams against external forces? A Different Perspective Even when rescued, the essence may still be lost. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Something about a performance - it's in the air, it's in the moment. It never really bothers me when something goes wrong; I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-kurstin/something-about-a-performance-it-s-in-the-air-it-s-in-the-moment-it/) [Greg Kurstin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-kurstin/) > [Amplified by the still of night, the book opened -- a gust of wind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/amplified-by-the-still-of-night-the-book-opened-a-gust-of-wind/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I have at least the whole of my life to answer a question: Who am I? And who is the other? A gust of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahar-ben-jelloun/i-have-at-least-the-whole-of-my-life-to-answer-a-question-who-am-i/) [Tahar Ben Jelloun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahar-ben-jelloun/) > [“She looked like a plant with a broken stem, still held together by a single fiber, struggling to heal the breach, which one more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/she-looked-like-a-plant-with-a-broken-stem-still-held-together-by-a/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Love is like sand I hold it in the palm of my hand then a strong gust of wind sifts it through my hand.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kt-lut/love-is-like-sand-i-hold-it-in-the-palm-of-my-hand-then-a-strong-gust/) Kt Lut > [“A gust of wind rattles the window, and I look out. Leaves are whooshing all over the place, flying past horizontally as if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-messner/a-gust-of-wind-rattles-the-window-and-i-look-out-leaves-are-whooshing/) [Kate Messner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-messner/) > [“And if I let a gust of wind or a sprinkling of rain turn me aside from these easy tasks, what preparation would such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/and-if-i-let-a-gust-of-wind-or-a-sprinkling-of-rain-turn-me-aside/) [Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [You can get a big gust of wind, and your Olympics are over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-vonn/you-can-get-a-big-gust-of-wind-and-your-olympics-are-over/) [Lindsey Vonn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-vonn/) > [“A gust of wind went Nike across the flat landscape”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/a-gust-of-wind-went-nike-across-the-flat-landscape/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [I've had sideburns since I was 16, but back then, a gust of wind would have blown them off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-martin/i-ve-had-sideburns-since-i-was-16-but-back-then-a-gust-of-wind-would/) [Guy Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-martin/) > [When a gust of wind hits a broken bone, you feel it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shia-labeouf/when-a-gust-of-wind-hits-a-broken-bone-you-feel-it/) [Shia LaBeouf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shia-labeouf/) > [“sometimes i don't know, which moment which cool gust of wind will come, and enchant me tousling my hair and my heart, stirring...that familiar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanober-khan/sometimes-i-don-t-know-which-moment-which-cool-gust-of-wind-will-come/) [Sanober Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanober-khan/) > [“A gust of wind set the leaves of grass to dancing and celebrated the grass's song before it died.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/a-gust-of-wind-set-the-leaves-of-grass-to-dancing-and-celebrated-the/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [You'll drive yourself crazy if you start trying to pry the meaning out of every gust of wind or rain squall. I'm not denying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eddings/you-ll-drive-yourself-crazy-if-you-start-trying-to-pry-the-meaning/) [David Eddings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eddings/) > [Give a little gust of wind and I'm jettin but leave a memory no one'll be forgettin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nwa/give-a-little-gust-of-wind-and-i-m-jettin-but-leave-a-memory-no-one/) [NWA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nwa/) ## More by Ally Condie > [“But I also know we can’t plan on anyone else rescuing us. We have to do it ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/but-i-also-know-we-can-t-plan-on-anyone-else-rescuing-us-we-have-to/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [“Ever since the day of the mistake with my Match. I've never known which life is my true one. Even with the reassurances of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/ever-since-the-day-of-the-mistake-with-my-match-i-ve-never-known/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [“She knows how things fit together and move, but so few people understand her. She’s the most solitary person I’ve ever known.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/she-knows-how-things-fit-together-and-move-but-so-few-people/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [“There are many of them in the world, I think, good men and women with their frail deeds. Wondering what might have been, how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/there-are-many-of-them-in-the-world-i-think-good-men-and-women-with/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [“You wouldn't think you can forget but sometimes you can—for a moment or two. I've never been able to decide if I think that’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/you-wouldn-t-think-you-can-forget-but-sometimes-you-can-for-a-moment/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [“It doesn't matter much anyway. I haven't slept well since he left. I can't dream. In some ways, that's the hardest part of having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/it-doesn-t-matter-much-anyway-i-haven-t-slept-well-since-he-left-i/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [“She's right. We would compose poems about love and tell stories that have been heard in some form before. But it would be our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/she-s-right-we-would-compose-poems-about-love-and-tell-stories-that/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [“How we never, ever fight.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/how-we-never-ever-fight/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [“Perhaps it is because now I live in his story. Now I am a part of his, and he of mine, and the part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/perhaps-it-is-because-now-i-live-in-his-story-now-i-am-a-part-of-his/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [“Of course, one person can be the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/of-course-one-person-can-be-the-world/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [“I wonder if they'll be able to resist. It's not exactly easy to save things for the future when the present is so uncertain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/i-wonder-if-they-ll-be-able-to-resist-it-s-not-exactly-easy-to-save/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [“I think of how many invisible injuries are possible. Ones scored on your heart, your brain, your bones. How do we all stand? I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/i-think-of-how-many-invisible-injuries-are-possible-ones-scored-on/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [“I see a glint in her eye as she looks at me and it makes me smile. Hold our breath? she seems to say.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/i-see-a-glint-in-her-eye-as-she-looks-at-me-and-it-makes-me-smile/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [“What is the point of having something lovely if you never share it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/what-is-the-point-of-having-something-lovely-if-you-never-share-it/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [“She’s trying to figure out the Plague on her own and not taking what the Rising says for granted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/she-s-trying-to-figure-out-the-plague-on-her-own-and-not-taking-what/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) [Explore all 526 Ally Condie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) ## More Guilt quotes > [Never fight on the wrong side; you might win but the burden of guilt is more than a loss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilian-salan/never-fight-on-the-wrong-side-you-might-win-but-the-burden-of-guilt/) [Lilian Salan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilian-salan/) > [“As parents who make every effort we can to raise our children in loving security, we do not need to feel more guilt than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/as-parents-who-make-every-effort-we-can-to-raise-our-children-in/) [Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/) > [When the Lord Jesus Christ became my surety . . . He went to Calvary's cross, and all my guilt was charged against Him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/when-the-lord-jesus-christ-became-my-surety-he-went-to-calvary-s/) [Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) > [“Even in the miserable guilt we feel over our beastlike insensitivity, the glory of God shines. If God were not gloriously desirable, why would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/even-in-the-miserable-guilt-we-feel-over-our-beastlike-insensitivity/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [“The sole reason I stand to open it up now is that lots of people who are in pain just like I was, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/the-sole-reason-i-stand-to-open-it-up-now-is-that-lots-of-people-who/) [Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/) > [But victimhood was seductive, a release from responsibility and caring. Fear would be transmuted into weary resignation; failure would no longer generate guilt but,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/but-victimhood-was-seductive-a-release-from-responsibility-and-caring/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [Regrets are just a way for the foolish and the guilty to pass the time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gensoumaden-saiyuki/regrets-are-just-a-way-for-the-foolish-and-the-guilty-to-pass-the-time/) Gensoumaden Saiyuki > [(I)f we are going to be kind, let it be out of simple generosity, not because we fear guilt or retribution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-f-we-are-going-to-be-kind-let-it-be-out-of-simple-generosity-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Money should not be in the hands of individuals; otherwise it will create this problem of being burdened with guilt. And money can make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/money-should-not-be-in-the-hands-of-individuals-otherwise-it-will/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Food ... love ... mother ... career ... Live every day to the fullest. Partake of the four basic guilt groups.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-guisewite/food-love-mother-career-live-every-day-to-the-fullest-partake-of-the/) [Cathy Guisewite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-guisewite/) > [Anger was better than tears, better than grief, better than guilt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/anger-was-better-than-tears-better-than-grief-better-than-guilt/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Phil and Hannah had decided that Christian guilt was better than bad math”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhoda-janzen/phil-and-hannah-had-decided-that-christian-guilt-was-better-than-bad/) [rhoda janzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhoda-janzen/) > [No amount of guilt can solve the past & No amount of anxiety can change the future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ananymous/no-amount-of-guilt-can-solve-the-past-no-amount-of-anxiety-can-change/) [Ananymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ananymous/) > [The essence of having fun is enjoying without guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-essence-of-having-fun-is-enjoying-without-guilt/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If all the world hated you and believed you wicked, while your own conscience approved of you and absolved you from guilt, you would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/if-all-the-world-hated-you-and-believed-you-wicked-while-your-own/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) [Browse all 2,943 Guilt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It dances on the air for a moment before it falls, too. 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