--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I once read the sentence 'I lay awake all…" description: "\"“I once read the sentence 'I lay awake all night with a toothache, thinking about the toothache an about lying awake.' That's true to life. Part of eve..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c5/c-s-lewis-121_grief_i-once-read-the-sentence-i-lay-awake-all_807998.jpg" --- # I once read the sentence 'I lay awake all night with a… ![“I once read the sentence 'I lay awake all night with a toothache, thinking about the toothache an about lying awake.' That's true to life. Part of every misery is, so to speak, the misery's shadow or reflection: the fact that you don't merely suffer but have to keep on thinking about the fact that…” quote by C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c5/c-s-lewis-121_grief_i-once-read-the-sentence-i-lay-awake-all_807998.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c5/c-s-lewis-121_grief_i-once-read-the-sentence-i-lay-awake-all_807998.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c5/c-s-lewis-121_grief_i-once-read-the-sentence-i-lay-awake-all_807998.jpg) > ““I once read the sentence 'I lay awake all night with a toothache, thinking about the toothache an about lying awake.' That's true to life. Part of every misery is, so to speak, the misery's shadow or reflection: the fact that you don't merely suffer but have to keep on thinking about the fact that you suffer. I not only live each endless day in grief, but live each day thinking about living each day in grief.”” [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Suffering is compounded by the mind’s habit of ruminating on pain, creating a secondary distress. **In simple terms:** Thinking about pain makes it worse. Key Takeaway Practice mindful acceptance. Themes suffering mindfulness rumination Mood reflective somber Type philosophical psychological When to use this quote - chronic illness - grief - anxiety - personal loss Key Concepts psychology existentialism Questions to Reflect On - How can you notice rumination? - What practices reduce mental replay of pain? A Different Perspective Mindful acceptance can be challenging during intense grief. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Grief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grief/) [Live each day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-each-day/) [Living Each Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living-each-day/) [Suffer Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffer-thinking-1883383/) [Thinking Toothache](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking-toothache-6163641/) [Toothache](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/toothache/) [Toothache Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/toothache-lying-6163642/) [Toothache Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/toothache-thinking-6163640/) [True to life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-to-life/) ## Related quotes > [Part of every misery is, so to speak, the misery's shadow or reflection: the fact that you don't merely suffer but have to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/part-of-every-misery-is-so-to-speak-the-misery-s-shadow-or-reflection/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“That’s true to life. Part of every misery is, so to speak, the misery’s shadow or reflection: the fact that you don’t merely suffer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/that-s-true-to-life-part-of-every-misery-is-so-to-speak-the-misery-s/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Part of every misery,” C. S. Lewis wrote, is “misery’s shadow…the fact that you don’t merely suffer but have to keep on thinking about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/part-of-every-misery-c-s-lewis-wrote-is-misery-s-shadow-the-fact-that/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [“The world might stop in ten minutes; meanwhile, we are to go on doing our duty. The great thing is to be found at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/the-world-might-stop-in-ten-minutes-meanwhile-we-are-to-go-on-doing/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [I've never forgotten a word of advice my father gave to me. 'Never lose sight of your dream,' he said 'Of that person you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-lowrie-marshall/i-ve-never-forgotten-a-word-of-advice-my-father-gave-to-me-never-lose/) [Helen Lowrie Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-lowrie-marshall/) > [I believe in living each day as it comes, to the best of my ability. When it's done, I put it away, remembering that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginger-rogers/i-believe-in-living-each-day-as-it-comes-to-the-best-of-my-ability/) [Ginger Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginger-rogers/) > [A person can learn a lot from a dog, even a loopy one like ours. Marley taught me about living each day with unbridled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grogan/a-person-can-learn-a-lot-from-a-dog-even-a-loopy-one-like-ours-marley/) [John Grogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grogan/) > [“Those young-man dreams of living each day as if it were your last, they wore off; showed up, in the cold light of after-fifty,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-herron/those-young-man-dreams-of-living-each-day-as-if-it-were-your-last/) [Mick Herron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-herron/) > [“The greatest thing is to be found at one’s post as a child of God, living each day as though it were our last,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-w-colson/the-greatest-thing-is-to-be-found-at-one-s-post-as-a-child-of-god/) [Charles W. Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-w-colson/) > [Happiness consists of living each day as if it were the first day of your honeymoon and the last day of your vacation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/happiness-consists-of-living-each-day-as-if-it-were-the-first-day-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I believe in having a vision for the future but living each day at a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-kerr/i-believe-in-having-a-vision-for-the-future-but-living-each-day-at-a/) [Miranda Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-kerr/) > [“Those who live in a state of survival just watching their lives pass them by do not understand the power of living each day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/those-who-live-in-a-state-of-survival-just-watching-their-lives-pass/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [Living each day is just another blessing you have know idea when the world will end or when one of your loved ones are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknow-timmi/living-each-day-is-just-another-blessing-you-have-know-idea-when-the/) [Unknow Timmi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unknow-timmi/) > [“You are too afraid to let go of the past and live your life to its fullest. You have envied people so, you never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenty-rosse/you-are-too-afraid-to-let-go-of-the-past-and-live-your-life-to-its/) [Kenty Rosse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenty-rosse/) > [“The very old can tell you about peace. They have fought through the black, sinking, visceral knowledge of death–their own death–that heralds middle age…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rivers-siddons/the-very-old-can-tell-you-about-peace-they-have-fought-through-the/) [Anne Rivers Siddons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rivers-siddons/) ## More by C.S. Lewis > [“At the moment, then, of Man’s victory over Nature, we find the whole human race subjected to some individual men, and those individuals subjected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/at-the-moment-then-of-man-s-victory-over-nature-we-find-the-whole/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Isn’t it absolutely essential to keep a fierce Left and a fierce Right, both on their toes and each terrified of the other?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/isn-t-it-absolutely-essential-to-keep-a-fierce-left-and-a-fierce/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“All Hell is smaller than one pebble of your earthly world: but it is smaller than one atom of this world, the Real World.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/all-hell-is-smaller-than-one-pebble-of-your-earthly-world-but-it-is/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“the greatest service we can do to education today is to teach fewer subjects. No one has time to do more than a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/the-greatest-service-we-can-do-to-education-today-is-to-teach-fewer/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“If the Divine call does not make us better, it will make us very much worse. Of all bad men religious bad men are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/if-the-divine-call-does-not-make-us-better-it-will-make-us-very-much/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“The husband is the head of the wife just in so far as he is to her what Christ is to the Church -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/the-husband-is-the-head-of-the-wife-just-in-so-far-as-he-is-to-her/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“We use a most unfortunate idiom when we say, of a lustful man prowling the streets, that he "wants a woman". Strictly speaking, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/we-use-a-most-unfortunate-idiom-when-we-say-of-a-lustful-man-prowling/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Después de cada fracaso, pedid perdón, levantaos del suelo y volved a intentarlo. Muy a menudo, lo que Dios nos otorga primero no es…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/despu-s-de-cada-fracaso-pedid-perd-n-levantaos-del-suelo-y-volved-a/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Then two wonders happened at the same moment. One was that the voice was suddenly joined by other voices; more voices than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/then-two-wonders-happened-at-the-same-moment-one-was-that-the-voice/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/because-free-will-though-it-makes-evil-possible-is-also-the-only/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Laugh and fear not, creatures. Now that you are no longer dumb and witless, you need not always be grave. For jokes as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/laugh-and-fear-not-creatures-now-that-you-are-no-longer-dumb-and/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“When two humans have lived together for many years it usually happens that each has tones of voice and expressions of face which are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/when-two-humans-have-lived-together-for-many-years-it-usually-happens/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“He sees as well as you do that courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/he-sees-as-well-as-you-do-that-courage-is-not-simply-one-of-the/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“If you do not take the distinction between good and bad very seriously, then it is easy to say that anything you find in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/if-you-do-not-take-the-distinction-between-good-and-bad-very/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Now the whole offer which Christianity makes is this: that we can, if we let God have His way, come to share in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/now-the-whole-offer-which-christianity-makes-is-this-that-we-can-if/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) [Explore all 1,165 C.S. Lewis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) ## 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. And something more. Something so alien and unexpected that I'd almost burst into tears.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/ancient-eyes-had-stared-at-me-filled-with-ancient-grief-and-something/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [Meanwhile, the trees were just as green as before; the birds sang and the sun shone as clearly now as ever. The familiar surroundings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/meanwhile-the-trees-were-just-as-green-as-before-the-birds-sang-and/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) [Browse all 8,012 Grief quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grief/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I once read the sentence 'I lay awake all night with a toothache, thinking about the toothache an about lying awake.' That's true to life. 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