--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's amazing what you have to buy after a…" description: "\"“It's amazing what you have to buy after a fire has completely wiped you out - things you never think about, like toothbrushes and boots and a dictiona..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/barbara-cohen-28364_fire_it-s-amazing-what-you-have-to-buy-after_1902110.jpg" --- # It's amazing what you have to buy after a fire has… ![“It's amazing what you have to buy after a fire has completely wiped you out - things you never think about, like toothbrushes and boots and a dictionary. Of course, people gave us things, but mostly they didn't fit, and Mother said this was no time for us to go around looking like orphans of the…” quote by Barbara Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/barbara-cohen-28364_fire_it-s-amazing-what-you-have-to-buy-after_1902110.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/barbara-cohen-28364_fire_it-s-amazing-what-you-have-to-buy-after_1902110.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/barbara-cohen-28364_fire_it-s-amazing-what-you-have-to-buy-after_1902110.jpg) > ““It's amazing what you have to buy after a fire has completely wiped you out - things you never think about, like toothbrushes and boots and a dictionary. Of course, people gave us things, but mostly they didn't fit, and Mother said this was no time for us to go around looking like orphans of the storm.”” [Barbara Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-cohen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. After total loss, people focus on basic necessities they had taken for granted, highlighting vulnerability and community support. **In simple terms:** Loss reveals everyday needs and reliance on others. Key Takeaway Recognize and appreciate simple comforts. Themes loss vulnerability community survival gratitude Mood reflective hopeful somber Type narrative inspirational When to use this quote - post‑disaster recovery - relief distribution - personal reflection - family coping Key Concepts basic needs human resilience social support Questions to Reflect On - What essential items would you prioritize after a crisis? - How can aid be better tailored to individual circumstances? A Different Perspective Even with aid, supplies may not match personal needs, causing frustration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) ## Related quotes > [“You owe me." "What do I owe you? All the things I gave you. How I took care of you. Money, information...pleasure. I denied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-hanson/you-owe-me-what-do-i-owe-you-all-the-things-i-gave-you-how-i-took/) [Caroline Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-hanson/) > [The universe had an odd sense of fairness; it took away things one did not want to give up, and then gave things one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laila-lalami/the-universe-had-an-odd-sense-of-fairness-it-took-away-things-one-did/) [Laila Lalami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laila-lalami/) > [I had some really incredible people who mentored me and gave me things I never got from my parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misty-copeland/i-had-some-really-incredible-people-who-mentored-me-and-gave-me/) [Misty Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misty-copeland/) > [“ This is nothing. And you are nothing. She took another step, and stumbled. The ground was plummeting downward now. You are nothing. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-ursu/this-is-nothing-and-you-are-nothing-she-took-another-step-and/) [Anne Ursu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-ursu/) > [I gave you things I wasn't sure I even had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-july/i-gave-you-things-i-wasn-t-sure-i-even-had/) [Miranda July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-july/) > [Destiny gave me only two things: a few accounting books and the gift of dreaming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/destiny-gave-me-only-two-things-a-few-accounting-books-and-the-gift/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [I heard that your dreams came true. Guess she gave you things, I didn't give to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adele/i-heard-that-your-dreams-came-true-guess-she-gave-you-things-i-didn-t/) [Adele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adele/) > [I gave up, so what? Things happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naquitta-faith/i-gave-up-so-what-things-happen/) [Naquitta Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naquitta-faith/) > [We can never have all the things we wanted, but God gave us all the things we deserved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayleen-jane-l-lowe/we-can-never-have-all-the-things-we-wanted-but-god-gave-us-all-the/) [Ayleen Jane L Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayleen-jane-l-lowe/) > [God gave me these things for a reason, not just talent on the field, but other opportunities to be a light to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-lawrence/god-gave-me-these-things-for-a-reason-not-just-talent-on-the-field/) [Trevor Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-lawrence/) > [Its impossible to forget the person who gave u so much things to remember.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritesh/its-impossible-to-forget-the-person-who-gave-u-so-much-things-to/) [Ritesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritesh/) > [My parents gave up things for me when I was growing up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-firmino/my-parents-gave-up-things-for-me-when-i-was-growing-up/) [Roberto Firmino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-firmino/) > [Take everything that you gave. When things were nice. Fake everything. If it makes you feel all right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruthie-foster/take-everything-that-you-gave-when-things-were-nice-fake-everything/) [Ruthie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruthie-foster/) > [“Love brought out the worst in people, gave them free license to abuse each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-jordan/love-brought-out-the-worst-in-people-gave-them-free-license-to-abuse/) [Sophie Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-jordan/) > [We were 6 feet under. A lot of people gave up on us, including fans and critics and show promoters and record labels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacoby-shaddix/we-were-6-feet-under-a-lot-of-people-gave-up-on-us-including-fans-and/) [Jacoby Shaddix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacoby-shaddix/) ## More by Barbara Cohen > [ “I'm a superior foot massager,' Mr. Jensen said \[to Mother\]. 'Later, I'll show you my license.' He laughed, and his eyes glinted. I looked… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-cohen/i-m-a-superior-foot-massager-mr-jensen-said-to-mother-later-i-ll-show/) [Barbara Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-cohen/) > [“Listen to me, Amin," I said slowly. "Listen to me very carefully. Nothing is the same. Nothing will ever be the same again. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-cohen/listen-to-me-amin-i-said-slowly-listen-to-me-very-carefully-nothing/) [Barbara Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-cohen/) > [“The nice thing about a round table is that it can seat an almost infinite number of people, as King Arthur found out long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-cohen/the-nice-thing-about-a-round-table-is-that-it-can-seat-an-almost/) [Barbara Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-cohen/) > [“It was the face that disturbed me. The artist had lit it in such a way that it appeared very strong, actually, to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-cohen/it-was-the-face-that-disturbed-me-the-artist-had-lit-it-in-such-a-way/) [Barbara Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-cohen/) > [“She chattered on about the Inn. 'I'm a genius,' she said. 'I got three hundred people into two rooms that were meant to hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-cohen/she-chattered-on-about-the-inn-i-m-a-genius-she-said-i-got-three/) [Barbara Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-cohen/) > [“Most of the time when you talk to people, nothing happens. It's all just, 'Pass me the salt,' and 'Remember to pick up some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-cohen/most-of-the-time-when-you-talk-to-people-nothing-happens-it-s-all/) [Barbara Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-cohen/) > [“Mrs. Littnauer must have brought thirty dresses back to the fitting room for me to try on. But most of them weren't right on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-cohen/mrs-littnauer-must-have-brought-thirty-dresses-back-to-the-fitting/) [Barbara Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-cohen/) > [“What did he give you?' I asked Rosie. 'A birthday present,' Rosie replied. 'He said not to open it until December 8.' 'You're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-cohen/what-did-he-give-you-i-asked-rosie-a-birthday-present-rosie-replied/) [Barbara Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-cohen/) > [“Once you start in with sex,' she replied slowly, 'it's hard to stop. It gets to be something you find it difficult to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-cohen/once-you-start-in-with-sex-she-replied-slowly-it-s-hard-to-stop-it/) [Barbara Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-cohen/) > [“I want my new friends and my old friends to get together,' she said, 'so we're going to have a shoe dance. All the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-cohen/i-want-my-new-friends-and-my-old-friends-to-get-together-she-said-so/) [Barbara Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-cohen/) > [“My secret love, Billy Colbert, had to make up the same test. Afterward, we left the chemistry lab together. 'Well, it was long,' Billy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-cohen/my-secret-love-billy-colbert-had-to-make-up-the-same-test-afterward/) [Barbara Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-cohen/) > [“We didn't sit down after the waltz because the next set was fox trots. Someone had turned out the overhead lights and only the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-cohen/we-didn-t-sit-down-after-the-waltz-because-the-next-set-was-fox-trots/) [Barbara Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-cohen/) > [“Why, Tess,' Billy said, with exaggerated surprise, 'aren't you just crazy about being a cheerleader?' 'Oh, I love it,' she responded derisively. 'All this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-cohen/why-tess-billy-said-with-exaggerated-surprise-aren-t-you-just-crazy/) [Barbara Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-cohen/) > [“We had all commenced that thrusting and parrying that always goes on when you meet new people. How I hated those games. I wondered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-cohen/we-had-all-commenced-that-thrusting-and-parrying-that-always-goes-on/) [Barbara Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-cohen/) > [“I cried for a little while, taking a kind of melancholy delight in my own tears, and then I fell asleep.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-cohen/i-cried-for-a-little-while-taking-a-kind-of-melancholy-delight-in-my/) [Barbara Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-cohen/) [Explore all 19 Barbara Cohen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-cohen/) ## More Fire quotes > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [“I locked the door and turned on the water to fill the tub. I made it so hot that I had to get in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-crandall/i-locked-the-door-and-turned-on-the-water-to-fill-the-tub-i-made-it/) [Susan Crandall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-crandall/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/public-infrastructure-around-the-world-is-facing-unprecedented-stress/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [Eternal Trinity... mystery deep as the sea, You could give me no greater gift than the gift of Yourself. For You are a fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/eternal-trinity-mystery-deep-as-the-sea-you-could-give-me-no-greater/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [“Nothing is ever lost nor can be lost; the body aged, sluggish,cold… the embers left from earlier fires shall dully flame again”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/nothing-is-ever-lost-nor-can-be-lost-the-body-aged-sluggish-cold-the/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [Tonight I feel like a prisoner on fire, waiting desperately... denied, sentenced forever more. Only your love can set me free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bolton/tonight-i-feel-like-a-prisoner-on-fire-waiting-desperately-denied/) [Michael Bolton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bolton/) > [There are different kinds of fire; there is false fire. No one knows this better than we do, but we are not such fools…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-booth/there-are-different-kinds-of-fire-there-is-false-fire-no-one-knows/) [William Booth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-booth/) > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [War is like a fire. One man may start it, but it will spread all over. It is not about one thing in particular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/war-is-like-a-fire-one-man-may-start-it-but-it-will-spread-all-over/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Carrying that lumber the forty meters from the forest had left his knuckles blistered, his underarms sopping, but now a few hours of flames…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-marra/carrying-that-lumber-the-forty-meters-from-the-forest-had-left-his/) [Anthony Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-marra/) > [May nothing entice me till I happily make my way to Jesus Christ! Fire, cross, struggles with wild beasts, wrenching of bones, mangling of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-antioch/may-nothing-entice-me-till-i-happily-make-my-way-to-jesus-christ-fire/) [Ignatius of Antioch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-antioch/) > [AHHHHHH! Goyle has set the bloody place on fire! -Ron Weasley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ahhhhhh-goyle-has-set-the-bloody-place-on-fire-ron-weasley/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 8,652 Fire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It's amazing what you have to buy after a fire has completely wiped you out - things you never think about, like toothbrushes and boots and a dictionary. 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