--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It’s strange to grieve for your former…" description: "\"“It’s strange to grieve for your former self, and still I think it’s something that any girl understands. I’ve shed so many skins, I hardly know what I..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ae/brittany-cavallaro-22338_grieve_it-s-strange-to-grieve-for-your-former-s_259322.jpg" --- # It’s strange to grieve for your former self, and still I… ![“It’s strange to grieve for your former self, and still I think it’s something that any girl understands. I’ve shed so many skins, I hardly know what I am now—muscle, maybe, or just memory. Perhaps just the will to keep going.” quote by Brittany Cavallaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ae/brittany-cavallaro-22338_grieve_it-s-strange-to-grieve-for-your-former-s_259322.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ae/brittany-cavallaro-22338_grieve_it-s-strange-to-grieve-for-your-former-s_259322.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ae/brittany-cavallaro-22338_grieve_it-s-strange-to-grieve-for-your-former-s_259322.jpg) > ““It’s strange to grieve for your former self, and still I think it’s something that any girl understands. I’ve shed so many skins, I hardly know what I am now—muscle, maybe, or just memory. Perhaps just the will to keep going.”” [Brittany Cavallaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-cavallaro/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote reflects on identity loss and transformation, likening it to grieving a former self, a universal experience for women navigating change. **In simple terms:** Changing identity feels like mourning an old self. Key Takeaway Embrace change while honoring past selves. Themes identity growth grief womanhood Mood reflective empathetic Type personal philosophical When to use this quote - career transition - personal reinvention - mental health coping - creative pursuits Key Concepts self-concept psychological resilience female experience Questions to Reflect On - How do you recognize growth amid loss? - What rituals help integrate past and present selves? A Different Perspective It may overgeneralize women's experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [I change jobs like drinking water ... And as I grow accustomed to the new flavor of a drink I regard as delicious, yes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/i-change-jobs-like-drinking-water-and-as-i-grow-accustomed-to-the-new/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [We go through life. We shed our skins. We become ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/we-go-through-life-we-shed-our-skins-we-become-ourselves/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [we shed the skins of who we used to be!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-jerome-dickey/we-shed-the-skins-of-who-we-used-to-be/) [Eric Jerome Dickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-jerome-dickey/) > [“When we age we shed many skins: ego, arrognace, dominance, self-opionated, unreliable, pessimism, rudeness, selfish, uncaring ... Wow, it's good to be old!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/when-we-age-we-shed-many-skins-ego-arrognace-dominance-self-opionated/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [The girl who understands just how much she is wanted is a girl who can be fully confident-empowered to make every decision a wise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-girl-who-understands-just-how-much-she-is-wanted-is-a-girl-who/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If a girl understands your bullshit, sticks around through all your mistakes, and smiles even though youve done nothing for her. Than its obvious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-a-girl-understands-your-bullshit-sticks-around-through-all-your-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If a girl understands your bullshit, sticks through your mistakes, smiles even when you've done nothing for her, it's obvious she's a keeper. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-a-girl-understands-your-bullshit-sticks-through-your-mistakes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Iff a girl understands your bullshiet. sticks around through all your mistakes, and smiles even though you've done nothing for her; than it's obvious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/iff-a-girl-understands-your-bullshiet-sticks-around-through-all-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I want a girl when I want a girl, and when I don't want a girl, I want a girl who understands that](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phonte/i-want-a-girl-when-i-want-a-girl-and-when-i-don-t-want-a-girl-i-want/) [Phonte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phonte/) > [If a girl understands your BS, sticks with you through your mistakes, smiles even when you've done nothing for her, it's obvious she's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-wayne/if-a-girl-understands-your-bs-sticks-with-you-through-your-mistakes/) [Lil Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-wayne/) > [If a girl understands your bullshit, sticks around through all your mistakes, and smiles even though you've done nothing for her. Than it's obvious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-forgotten/if-a-girl-understands-your-bullshit-sticks-around-through-all-your/) The Forgotten > [“Life will be safer for the girl who understands her own nature and reverences her womanhood, who realizes her responsibility towards the human race…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wood-allen/life-will-be-safer-for-the-girl-who-understands-her-own-nature-and/) Mary Wood-Allen > [Love Is Such A Marvelous Word, . . . If A Boy Understands, Girl Doesn't.. ... ... & ... ... If Girl Understands, Boy Doesn't.. ... ... & ... ... If Both Understand, The World Doesn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/love-is-such-a-marvelous-word-if-a-boy-understands-girl-doesn-t-if/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [“Love Is such a Marvelous world!! If a Boy understands, Girl Doesn't.. If Girl understands, Boy Doesn't.. If Both understand,World Doesn't..”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-d/love-is-such-a-marvelous-world-if-a-boy-understands-girl-doesn-t-if/) ғαяsнαη мσнαмεd > [... I think we grieve forever, but that goes for love too, fortunately for us all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-k-fisher/i-think-we-grieve-forever-but-that-goes-for-love-too-fortunately-for/) [M. F. K. Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-k-fisher/) ## More by Brittany Cavallaro > [“I tended to spend too much time with my favorite things, loved them too hard until I wore them down. After a while, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-cavallaro/i-tended-to-spend-too-much-time-with-my-favorite-things-loved-them/) [Brittany Cavallaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-cavallaro/) > [“Maybe this is what happened when you built a friendship on a foundation of mutual disaster. It collapsed the second things righted themselves, left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-cavallaro/maybe-this-is-what-happened-when-you-built-a-friendship-on-a/) [Brittany Cavallaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-cavallaro/) > [“So what if somewhere, back a hundred years and change and across the Atlantic Ocean, some other Watson made best friends with some other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-cavallaro/so-what-if-somewhere-back-a-hundred-years-and-change-and-across-the/) [Brittany Cavallaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-cavallaro/) > [“But I had never wanted to be her boyfriend. I wanted something smaller than that, and far, far bigger.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-cavallaro/but-i-had-never-wanted-to-be-her-boyfriend-i-wanted-something-smaller/) [Brittany Cavallaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-cavallaro/) > [“I’ve always liked that Galway Kinnell poem. ‘Wait, for now. Distrust everything, if you have to. But trust the hours. Haven’t they carried you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-cavallaro/i-ve-always-liked-that-galway-kinnell-poem-wait-for-now-distrust/) [Brittany Cavallaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-cavallaro/) > [“Without each other, we could, quite literally, die.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-cavallaro/without-each-other-we-could-quite-literally-die/) [Brittany Cavallaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-cavallaro/) > [“The prompt didn’t help me much, since all poems were difficult for me to write. They were like mirrors you held up to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-cavallaro/the-prompt-didn-t-help-me-much-since-all-poems-were-difficult-for-me/) [Brittany Cavallaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-cavallaro/) > [“change or shower since interrogating Holmes last night.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-cavallaro/change-or-shower-since-interrogating-holmes-last-night/) [Brittany Cavallaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-cavallaro/) > [“She smiled at me, that one particular smile I hardly ever saw, the one that could open padlocks, Yale locks, bank vaults, the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-cavallaro/she-smiled-at-me-that-one-particular-smile-i-hardly-ever-saw-the-one/) [Brittany Cavallaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-cavallaro/) > [“Number fifteen: if you wait for full disclosure from a Holmes, it might be years before you learn a damn thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-cavallaro/number-fifteen-if-you-wait-for-full-disclosure-from-a-holmes-it-might/) [Brittany Cavallaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-cavallaro/) > [“But it appears that I am willing to put up with many things for the sake of Jamie Watson. He is fond of watching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-cavallaro/but-it-appears-that-i-am-willing-to-put-up-with-many-things-for-the/) [Brittany Cavallaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-cavallaro/) > [“But none of those deductions were methodical, Watson. That was all psychology. I loathe psychology.” “It’s okay,” I told her. “I hate losing at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-cavallaro/but-none-of-those-deductions-were-methodical-watson-that-was-all/) [Brittany Cavallaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-cavallaro/) > [“I belonged here, I thought, with her, as surely as anyone belonged anywhere. As weird as here was.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-cavallaro/i-belonged-here-i-thought-with-her-as-surely-as-anyone-belonged/) [Brittany Cavallaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-cavallaro/) > [“I'd prefer to think that we aren't all so mercilessly bound to our pasts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-cavallaro/i-d-prefer-to-think-that-we-aren-t-all-so-mercilessly-bound-to-our/) [Brittany Cavallaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-cavallaro/) > [“Charlotte. There's a girl on the roof. She says her name is Lena... She says she brought the helicopter you wanted? - August”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-cavallaro/charlotte-there-s-a-girl-on-the-roof-she-says-her-name-is-lena-she/) [Brittany Cavallaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-cavallaro/) [Explore all 27 Brittany Cavallaro quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-cavallaro/) ## More Grieve quotes > [... I think we grieve forever, but that goes for love too, fortunately for us all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-k-fisher/i-think-we-grieve-forever-but-that-goes-for-love-too-fortunately-for/) [M. F. K. Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-k-fisher/) > [Those who grieve frequently find themselves alone. Missed is the laughter of children, the commotion of teenagers, and the tender, loving concern of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/those-who-grieve-frequently-find-themselves-alone-missed-is-the/) [Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/) > [“It is the capacity to feel consuming grief and pain and despair that also allows me to embrace love and joy and beauty with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-white/it-is-the-capacity-to-feel-consuming-grief-and-pain-and-despair-that/) [Anna White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-white/) > [“It is possible to grieve for the loss of a thing even as you are in possession of it. To crave the very thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-blair/it-is-possible-to-grieve-for-the-loss-of-a-thing-even-as-you-are-in/) Joe Blair > [“I grieve to leave Thornfield: I love Thornfield - I love it, because I have lived in it a full and delightful life, -momentarily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/i-grieve-to-leave-thornfield-i-love-thornfield-i-love-it-because-i/) [Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [We must grieve what might have been in order to rise and abundantly live in what truly is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-must-grieve-what-might-have-been-in-order-to-rise-and-abundantly/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I grieve and dare not show my discontent, I love and yet am forced to seem to hate, I do, yet dare not say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/i-grieve-and-dare-not-show-my-discontent-i-love-and-yet-am-forced-to/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) > [“Had life not given me reasons to grieve, I would never have known the healing power of a hug.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/had-life-not-given-me-reasons-to-grieve-i-would-never-have-known-the/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [“If one lied, or put you down, don't mourn don't grieve, for why do you care, you don't want to be friends with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-rosenberg/if-one-lied-or-put-you-down-don-t-mourn-don-t-grieve-for-why-do-you/) Zoe Rosenberg > [“I'm not saying we shouldn't grieve. Just, why don't we put it in God's hands? she said. Why haven't we learned this, after all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/i-m-not-saying-we-shouldn-t-grieve-just-why-don-t-we-put-it-in-god-s/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [“Dont grieve any more, see I am coming up with you everyday now, and if there is anything the matter, you can come to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-spyri/dont-grieve-any-more-see-i-am-coming-up-with-you-everyday-now-and-if/) [Johanna Spyri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-spyri/) > [“I have the ghost of you pressing against my ribs like deep water. It is only now, in this cardigan of a house that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvette-walker/i-have-the-ghost-of-you-pressing-against-my-ribs-like-deep-water-it/) [Yvette Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvette-walker/) > [Man, when he does not grieve, hardly exists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-porchia/man-when-he-does-not-grieve-hardly-exists/) [Antonio Porchia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-porchia/) > [“The most difficult experience one might ever have, is to grieve the loss of a Loved-one who is still alive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-d-longoria-jr/the-most-difficult-experience-one-might-ever-have-is-to-grieve-the/) [Raymond D. Longoria Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-d-longoria-jr/) > [God is inviting you today to appropriately grieve your pains and losses and to acknowledge the world is seriously broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/god-is-inviting-you-today-to-appropriately-grieve-your-pains-and/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) Browse all 265 Grieve quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It’s strange to grieve for your former self, and still I think it’s something that any girl understands. I’ve shed so many skins, I hardly know what I am now—muscle, maybe, or just memory. 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