--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I miss her. God, I do. It’s beyond…" description: "\"“I miss her. God, I do. It’s beyond missing; it’s a kind of mourning. And not just for everything we had, but for everything we might have had, could h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/711/barry-eisler-1009_grief_i-miss-her-god-i-do-it-s-beyond-missing_2674693.jpg" --- # I miss her. God, I do. It’s beyond missing; it’s a kind of… ![“I miss her. God, I do. It’s beyond missing; it’s a kind of mourning. And not just for everything we had, but for everything we might have had, could have had, if only I had made other choices, if only I had been someone else, or something else. But who, or what, would that be? I try to imagine it…” quote by Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/711/barry-eisler-1009_grief_i-miss-her-god-i-do-it-s-beyond-missing_2674693.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/711/barry-eisler-1009_grief_i-miss-her-god-i-do-it-s-beyond-missing_2674693.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/711/barry-eisler-1009_grief_i-miss-her-god-i-do-it-s-beyond-missing_2674693.jpg) > ““I miss her. God, I do. It’s beyond missing; it’s a kind of mourning. And not just for everything we had, but for everything we might have had, could have had, if only I had made other choices, if only I had been someone else, or something else. But who, or what, would that be? I try to imagine it and I can’t. It feels like a delusion, a deception, a dream. All the world’s a stage, isn’t that what Shakespeare said? And all the men and women merely players. And so they are. So we all are. But that’s poetry. The prose is simpler. Sometimes there’s just what you can do. And what you can’t.”” [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator mourns lost possibilities and identity, feeling trapped between longing and reality, questioning self and destiny. **In simple terms:** Grief over missed chances and identity confusion. Key Takeaway Accept loss and focus on present choices. Themes grief identity regret existential doubt Mood melancholic introspective Type novel philosophical When to use this quote - career crossroads - relationship endings - creative blocks - life transitions Key Concepts mourning self‑questioning what‑if scenarios Questions to Reflect On - What would you do if you let go of the past? - How can you redefine yourself now? A Different Perspective Living in the past can hinder present growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Grief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grief/) [Men and women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-and-women/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shakespeare/) [World'S A Stage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-s-a-stage/) ## Related quotes > [I believe it was Shakespeare who said, 'All the world's a stage, and you are CRAP!'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-mochrie/i-believe-it-was-shakespeare-who-said-all-the-world-s-a-stage-and-you/) [Colin Mochrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-mochrie/) > [“And yet, even when all was well, as Shakespeare said, that ends well, did they say ‘Hey, Kendra, we understand that you made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-flinn-bewitching/and-yet-even-when-all-was-well-as-shakespeare-said-that-ends-well-did/) Alex Flinn Bewitching > [“You can’t please all of the readers all of the time; you can’t please even some of the readers all of the time, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/you-can-t-please-all-of-the-readers-all-of-the-time-you-can-t-please/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Shakespeare said all the worlds a stage if it is then I suggest you to perform better than anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/shakespeare-said-all-the-worlds-a-stage-if-it-is-then-i-suggest-you/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [“...I know Shakespeare said art is holding up a mirror to nature- but you're actually bending and refracting it through your interior dialogue ...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-geddes/i-know-shakespeare-said-art-is-holding-up-a-mirror-to-nature-but-you/) [John Geddes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-geddes/) > [Drama, drama, drama with tons of victim scripts Shakespeare said the worlds a stage isn't it time for a new script.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/drama-drama-drama-with-tons-of-victim-scripts-shakespeare-said-the/) [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) > [As Shakespeare said, there's nothin' cooler than droppin' the 'g's off of gerunds!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/as-shakespeare-said-there-s-nothin-cooler-than-droppin-the-g-s-off-of/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [“imagine. I imagine it feels like bathing in ice to the person touching her. But how does it feel to her? Cold as she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/imagine-i-imagine-it-feels-like-bathing-in-ice-to-the-person-touching/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [It's tough to find the words to say to someone who has lost everything. I can't imagine how it feels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-peppers/it-s-tough-to-find-the-words-to-say-to-someone-who-has-lost/) [Julius Peppers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-peppers/) > [I actually see myself in all my characters. In order to imagine what it feels like to be another person I have to use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-strout/i-actually-see-myself-in-all-my-characters-in-order-to-imagine-what/) [Elizabeth Strout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-strout/) > [Shakespeare said, nothing is either good nor bad but thinking makes it so](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dyan-cannon/shakespeare-said-nothing-is-either-good-nor-bad-but-thinking-makes-it/) [Dyan Cannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dyan-cannon/) > [William Shakespeare once said: 'There is a tide in the affairs of men. Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; omitted all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haley-james-scott/william-shakespeare-once-said-there-is-a-tide-in-the-affairs-of-men/) [Haley James Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haley-james-scott/) > [“He strode forward, heedless of the murmuring that began among the women when they saw him. Then Sara turned, and her gaze met his.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-jeffries/he-strode-forward-heedless-of-the-murmuring-that-began-among-the/) [Sabrina Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-jeffries/) > [Shakespeare said: "There's a special providence in the fall of a sparrow." Everything happens perfectly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/shakespeare-said-there-s-a-special-providence-in-the-fall-of-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“And now, these books. This. He touched PHYSIOGNOMONIE. The secrets of the individual's character as found on his face. Were Jim and Will, then,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/and-now-these-books-this-he-touched-physiognomonie-the-secrets-of-the/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) ## More by Barry Eisler > [“But, like all indulgences that are valued not just for their product but for their process, the sento will never entirely disappear. For in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/but-like-all-indulgences-that-are-valued-not-just-for-their-product/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“She’s a bargirl. You don’t know where her loyalties lie. That one was unconvincing. No one had directed her against me—I was the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/she-s-a-bargirl-you-don-t-know-where-her-loyalties-lie-that-one-was/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“In my unpleasant experience, unarmed against a knife, you’ve basically got four options. 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I wondered for a moment how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/i-heard-laughter-and-looked-up-some-kids-at-the-terminal-next-to-me/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“I shifted my head slightly. The corners of our mouths brushed together. I felt her breath on my cheek. Then we were kissing. Her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/i-shifted-my-head-slightly-the-corners-of-our-mouths-brushed-together/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“I looked at her. Why was it her question seemed suffused with double entendre? She was attractive, of course, more than attractive, but that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/i-looked-at-her-why-was-it-her-question-seemed-suffused-with-double/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“I realized my knowledge of that potentially damning evidence gave Delilah a reason to want me out of the way. “Out of the way”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/i-realized-my-knowledge-of-that-potentially-damning-evidence-gave/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“I wouldn’t want to try to take this guy out with anything less than a scoped rifle. Which is something that’s hard to confuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/i-wouldn-t-want-to-try-to-take-this-guy-out-with-anything-less-than-a/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“I picked up the earthen cup and went to take a sip. “Not like that,” Miyamoto said. “Let it cool a little. Give yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/i-picked-up-the-earthen-cup-and-went-to-take-a-sip-not-like-that/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“It seemed he’d recently learned the value of playing up the difficulty of accomplishing whatever he was tasked with, the better to play the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/it-seemed-he-d-recently-learned-the-value-of-playing-up-the/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“Yukiko walked over, her mouth stretching into a feline grin at the sight of Murakami. Naomi followed a moment later. She was wearing another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/yukiko-walked-over-her-mouth-stretching-into-a-feline-grin-at-the/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [It would be awesome to be so impressive that we could sway people to our way of thinking just by declaiming our thoughts, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/it-would-be-awesome-to-be-so-impressive-that-we-could-sway-people-to/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) [Explore all 305 Barry Eisler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) ## More Grief quotes > [“...they had lived, they'd lived intensely. But no matter how deeply you live, it comes to this in the end: one of you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-morton/they-had-lived-they-d-lived-intensely-but-no-matter-how-deeply-you/) [Brian Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-morton/) > [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) > [You felt a deep sorrow, the kind of melancholy you feel when you're in a beautiful place and the sun is going down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thrity-umrigar/you-felt-a-deep-sorrow-the-kind-of-melancholy-you-feel-when-you-re-in/) [Thrity Umrigar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thrity-umrigar/) > [... how much of our inner substance is it good for us to give to public griefs? The whole modern tendency to agonize over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-bogan/how-much-of-our-inner-substance-is-it-good-for-us-to-give-to-public/) [Louise Bogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-bogan/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“When we learn to attribute meaning to the events in our lives, we connect with our Higher Purpose, Higher Wisdom, or Source; we become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-barbara-apollon/when-we-learn-to-attribute-meaning-to-the-events-in-our-lives-we/) [Susan Barbara Apollon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-barbara-apollon/) > [Only to have a grief equal to all these tears!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/only-to-have-a-grief-equal-to-all-these-tears/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [Nowadays most people wear black most of the time anyway: go to a literary party and one would imagine everyone there was in perpetual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/nowadays-most-people-wear-black-most-of-the-time-anyway-go-to-a/) [Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/) > [Suppressed grief suffocates, it rages within the breast, and is forced to multiply its strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/suppressed-grief-suffocates-it-rages-within-the-breast-and-is-forced/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [That Woman is in love with her own grief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/that-woman-is-in-love-with-her-own-grief/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [Short time seems long in sorrow's sharp sustaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/short-time-seems-long-in-sorrow-s-sharp-sustaining/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [These days grief seems like walking on a frozen river; most of the time he feels safe enough, but there is always that danger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/these-days-grief-seems-like-walking-on-a-frozen-river-most-of-the/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“You've been my beacon of light in my storm of grief, and I don't know if I could live without you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-ashley/you-ve-been-my-beacon-of-light-in-my-storm-of-grief-and-i-don-t-know/) [Katie Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-ashley/) > [Ancient eyes had stared at me, filled with ancient grief. 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