--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I sat silently for several minutes…" description: "\"“I sat silently for several minutes, resisting the urge to speak, knowing it was stupid. There was nothing left of my father. Even if there were, it wa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aef/barry-eisler-1009_buried_i-sat-silently-for-several-minutes-resis_283202.jpg" --- # I sat silently for several minutes, resisting the urge to… ![“I sat silently for several minutes, resisting the urge to speak, knowing it was stupid. There was nothing left of my father. Even if there were, it was ridiculous to believe it would be here, hovering around ashes and dust, jostling for position among the souls of the hundreds of thousands of…” quote by Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aef/barry-eisler-1009_buried_i-sat-silently-for-several-minutes-resis_283202.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aef/barry-eisler-1009_buried_i-sat-silently-for-several-minutes-resis_283202.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aef/barry-eisler-1009_buried_i-sat-silently-for-several-minutes-resis_283202.jpg) > ““I sat silently for several minutes, resisting the urge to speak, knowing it was stupid. There was nothing left of my father. Even if there were, it was ridiculous to believe it would be here, hovering around ashes and dust, jostling for position among the souls of the hundreds of thousands of others buried in this place. People lay the flowers and say the prayers, they believe these things, because doing so avoids the discomfort of acknowledging that the person you loved is gone. It’s easier to believe that maybe the person can still see and hear and care.”” [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 reflects on grief, recognizing that rituals and beliefs help avoid confronting the finality of death. **In simple terms:** People use rituals to cope with loss and deny death. Key Takeaway Accept grief without avoidance. Themes grief ritual denial acceptance Mood somber reflective Type narrative philosophical When to use this quote - funeral services - personal mourning - community remembrance Key Concepts psychology thanology memory Questions to Reflect On - How do you honor loss authentically? - What comforts you beyond ceremony? A Different Perspective Rituals may delay healing rather than resolve pain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Person You Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-you-love/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) ## Related quotes > [“I have buried you in every place I’ve been. You keep ending up in my shaking hands.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-vernon/i-have-buried-you-in-every-place-i-ve-been-you-keep-ending-up-in-my/) [Justin Vernon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-vernon/) > [You have to salvage what you can, even if you're the one who buried it in the first place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/you-have-to-salvage-what-you-can-even-if-you-re-the-one-who-buried-it/) [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) > [It is absolutely imperative at the outset that you come to terms with this simple yet life-changing truth: God is for you. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-batterson/it-is-absolutely-imperative-at-the-outset-that-you-come-to-terms-with/) [Mark Batterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-batterson/) > [“Father God, I thank you that your eyes are upon me today as I pray and that your ears are attentive and open to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-jacobs/father-god-i-thank-you-that-your-eyes-are-upon-me-today-as-i-pray-and/) [Cindy Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-jacobs/) > [I am an atheist. I do not believe in prayers, I believe in work. And my work is that of an author. My pen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taslima-nasrin/i-am-an-atheist-i-do-not-believe-in-prayers-i-believe-in-work-and-my/) [Taslima Nasrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taslima-nasrin/) > [God always hear my prayers and I believe God will give the best for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-always-hear-my-prayers-and-i-believe-god-will-give-the-best-for-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [And I cannot tell you how much I appreciate that because the days are long, the road is hard, the trials are there and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-romney/and-i-cannot-tell-you-how-much-i-appreciate-that-because-the-days-are/) [Ann Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-romney/) > [Never give up hope and keep praying. God can hear our prayers believe what I'm saying. Only God is the one who will love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/never-give-up-hope-and-keep-praying-god-can-hear-our-prayers-believe/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [Will you say your prayers just to be honest with yourself?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silverstein/will-you-say-your-prayers-just-to-be-honest-with-yourself/) [Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silverstein/) > [Oh-do be careful with that! That's my Buddha hand grenade. Twist the head twice and throw it and anyone within ten yards can say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-horowitz/oh-do-be-careful-with-that-that-s-my-buddha-hand-grenade-twist-the/) [Anthony Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-horowitz/) > [Say your prayers, Anastasia! No one can save you!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grigori-rasputin/say-your-prayers-anastasia-no-one-can-save-you/) [Grigori Rasputin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grigori-rasputin/) > [Train. Say your prayers. Eat your vitamins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hulk-hogan/train-say-your-prayers-eat-your-vitamins/) [Hulk Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hulk-hogan/) > [You sit there and you thump your bible, and you say your prayers, and it didn't get you anywhere! Talk about your psalms, talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stone-cold-steve-austin/you-sit-there-and-you-thump-your-bible-and-you-say-your-prayers-and/) [Stone Cold Steve Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stone-cold-steve-austin/) > [Be strong,be kind,be generous of spirit, be understanding and let people know how grateful you are.Dont get even.Comfort the ones i've hurt and let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-strong-be-kind-be-generous-of-spirit-be-understanding-and-let/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Anything else, Your Majesty?" "I didn't say my prayers." "I'll say them for you. Our father who art in et cetera, bless all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-osborne/anything-else-your-majesty-i-didn-t-say-my-prayers-i-ll-say-them-for/) [Maggie Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-osborne/) ## 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. Your best bet is to run like hell, if you can.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/in-my-unpleasant-experience-unarmed-against-a-knife-you-ve-basically/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [The most important guideline when it comes to argument is the golden rule. 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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 Buried quotes > [Palindrome as well. My sister's name is Hannah. Father liked word games. He was fourteen times World Scrabble Champion. When he died, we buried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/palindrome-as-well-my-sister-s-name-is-hannah-father-liked-word-games/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [A classic is like a hidden treasure. 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