--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sissy had two great failings. She was a…" description: "\"“Sissy had two great failings. She was a great lover and a great mother. She had so much of tenderness in her, so much of wanting to give of herself to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/816/betty-smith-1012_beautiful-flowers_sissy-had-two-great-failings-she-was-a-g_1641288.png" --- # Sissy had two great failings. She was a great lover and a… ![“Sissy had two great failings. She was a great lover and a great mother. She had so much of tenderness in her, so much of wanting to give of herself to whoever needed what she had, whether it was her money, her time, the clothes off her back, her pity, her understanding, her friendship or her…” quote by Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/816/betty-smith-1012_beautiful-flowers_sissy-had-two-great-failings-she-was-a-g_1641288.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/816/betty-smith-1012_beautiful-flowers_sissy-had-two-great-failings-she-was-a-g_1641288.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/816/betty-smith-1012_beautiful-flowers_sissy-had-two-great-failings-she-was-a-g_1641288.png) > ““Sissy had two great failings. She was a great lover and a great mother. She had so much of tenderness in her, so much of wanting to give of herself to whoever needed what she had, whether it was her money, her time, the clothes off her back, her pity, her understanding, her friendship or her companionship and love. She was mother to everything that came her way. She loved men, yes. She loved women too, and old people and especially children. How she loved children! She loved loved the down-and-outers. She wanted to make everybody happy. She had tried to seduce the good priest who heard her infrequent confessions because she felt sorry for him. She thought he was missing the greatest joy on earth by being committed to a life of celibacy. She loved all the scratching curs on the street and wept for the gaunt scavenging cats who slunk around Brooklyn corners with their sides swollen looking for a hole in which they might bring forth their young. She loved the sooty sparrows and thought that the very grass that grew in the lots was beautiful. She picked bouquets of white clover in the lots believing they were the most beautiful flowers God ever made...Yes, she listened to everybody's troubles but no one listened to hers. But that was right because Sissy was a giver and never a taker.”” [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A character’s boundless generosity leads to personal neglect, showing the need for balanced self‑care. **In simple terms:** Giving too much can erase one’s own needs. Key Takeaway Set boundaries while helping others. Themes generosity self‑care balance compassion Mood empathetic thoughtful Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - volunteering - family support - personal limits - community service Key Concepts psychology social dynamics empathy Questions to Reflect On - How can you support others without losing yourself? - When is it okay to say no? A Different Perspective Over‑giving may enable dependency or burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beautiful flowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful-flowers/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Great mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-mother/) [Old people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-people/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) ## Related quotes > [“Sissy had two great failings. She was a great lover and a great mother. 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I remember every woman's face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-have-loved-eight-women-in-my-life-i-remember-every-woman-s-face/) Adam Ant > [I have loved women even to madness, but I have always loved liberty better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-casanova/i-have-loved-women-even-to-madness-but-i-have-always-loved-liberty/) [Giacomo Casanova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-casanova/) > [I loved women who weren't afraid to get ugly in their comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-rothwell/i-loved-women-who-weren-t-afraid-to-get-ugly-in-their-comedy/) [Natasha Rothwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-rothwell/) > [“I've loved many women...I'm not going to lie to you, but it never works...vanity always gets in the way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-giovanni/i-ve-loved-many-women-i-m-not-going-to-lie-to-you-but-it-never-works/) [Cassandra Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-giovanni/) > [I'm into women. I've always loved women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gest/i-m-into-women-i-ve-always-loved-women/) [David Gest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gest/) > [“Her eyes widened and her mouth formed an anguished O. He had to admit, there was real pleasure in seeing her pay the price…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-mcdermid/her-eyes-widened-and-her-mouth-formed-an-anguished-o-he-had-to-admit/) [Val McDermid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-mcdermid/) > [I've lived with women, loved women, lost women. 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I'll have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/yes-when-i-get-big-and-have-my-own-home-no-plush-chairs-and-lace/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [“Several times that day, the name or thought of Papa had come up. And each time, Francie had felt a flash of tenderness instead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/several-times-that-day-the-name-or-thought-of-papa-had-come-up-and/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [As long as one can suffer, one is living…live and suffer until life is gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/as-long-as-one-can-suffer-one-is-living-live-and-suffer-until-life-is/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [“Sissy told them they were way behind the times; that midwives were things of the past. 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Kids grow up quick in this neighborhood.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/one-day-they-re-babies-in-buggies-and-the-next-day-they-re-in-here/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [“If she never had any lovers, she kicks herself around when the change comes, thinking of all the fun she could have had, didn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/if-she-never-had-any-lovers-she-kicks-herself-around-when-the-change/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) [Explore all 306 Betty Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) ## More Beautiful flowers quotes > [People are ready to take the good things into their minds! 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She had so much of tenderness in her, so much of wanting to give of herself to whoever needed what she had, whether it was her money, her time, the clothes off her back, her pity, her understanding, her friendship or her companionship and love. She was mother to everything that came her way. She loved men, yes. She loved women too, and old people and especially children. How she loved children! She loved loved the down-and-outers. She wanted to make everybody happy. She had tried to seduce the good priest who heard her infrequent confessions because she felt sorry for him. She thought he was missing the greatest joy on earth by being committed to a life of celibacy. She loved all the scratching curs on the street and wept for the gaunt scavenging cats who slunk around Brooklyn corners with their sides swollen looking for a hole in which they might bring forth their young. She loved the sooty sparrows and thought that the very grass that grew in the lots was beautiful. 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