--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I knew then that I would devote every…" description: "\"“ I knew then that I would devote every minute we had left together to making her happy, to repairing the pain I had caused her and returning to her wh..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08b/carlos-ruiz-zafon-126_20th-century_i-knew-then-that-i-would-devote-every-mi_754670.jpg" --- # I knew then that I would devote every minute we had left… ![“I knew then that I would devote every minute we had left together to making her happy, to repairing the pain I had caused her and returning to her what I never known how to give her. These pages will be our memory until she drows her last breath in my arms and I take her forever and escape at last…” quote by Carlos Ruiz Zafón](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08b/carlos-ruiz-zafon-126_20th-century_i-knew-then-that-i-would-devote-every-mi_754670.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08b/carlos-ruiz-zafon-126_20th-century_i-knew-then-that-i-would-devote-every-mi_754670.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08b/carlos-ruiz-zafon-126_20th-century_i-knew-then-that-i-would-devote-every-mi_754670.jpg) > ““ I knew then that I would devote every minute we had left together to making her happy, to repairing the pain I had caused her and returning to her what I never known how to give her. These pages will be our memory until she drows her last breath in my arms and I take her forever and escape at last to a place where neither heaven nor hell will ever be able to find us. ”” [Carlos Ruiz Zafón](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A lover vows to spend his remaining time healing past hurts and creating lasting memories, seeking an eternal sanctuary beyond life and death. **In simple terms:** He promises to devote his last moments to love and redemption. Key Takeaway Cherish and repair love before it ends. Themes love redemption memory eternity Mood melancholic hopeful intimate Type poetic romantic When to use this quote - terminal illness - long‑term relationship - grief counseling Key Concepts self‑sacrifice healing transcendence Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance self‑care with caring for others? - What does “eternal sanctuary” mean to you? A Different Perspective May idealize sacrifice, overlooking personal boundaries. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adventure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adventure/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Barcelona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barcelona/) [Dark fantasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark-fantasy/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Devotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devotion/) [Every Minute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-minute/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Fantasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Goth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goth/) [Gothic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gothic/) [Happyness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happyness/) [Heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Last breath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/last-breath/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Romance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romance/) [Supernatural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supernatural/) [Thriller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thriller/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [World war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“Jacinta never told Penelope that she loved her. The nurse knew that those who really love, love in silence, with deeds and not with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/jacinta-never-told-penelope-that-she-loved-her-the-nurse-knew-that/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafón](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [“Nichts, was in diesem Leben die mühe lohnt, ist einfach, Daniel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/nichts-was-in-diesem-leben-die-m-he-lohnt-ist-einfach-daniel/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafón](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [“In verlorenen Schlachten besteht die letzte Verteidigung in der Gleichgültigkeit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/in-verlorenen-schlachten-besteht-die-letzte-verteidigung-in-der/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafón](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [Just realised we can't have, each and every thing what we want from life, to have one we looses another, so its better to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-andy/just-realised-we-can-t-have-each-and-every-thing-what-we-want-from/) [Nikhil Andy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-andy/) > [“Dear Healer I do not want to hear "beautiful stories" about "wonderful" energies. I want to see the result Slobodan Boban Manic”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slobodan-boban-manic/dear-healer-i-do-not-want-to-hear-beautiful-stories-about-wonderful/) [Slobodan Boban Manic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slobodan-boban-manic/) > [You are may happy place..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-are-may-happy-place/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If you have joy, make happy those who are sad.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-sanson-stresser-junior/if-you-have-joy-make-happy-those-who-are-sad/) Ronald Sanson Stresser Junior > [“It is useless to cry over a thing which is not belong to you…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jawad-khalid/it-is-useless-to-cry-over-a-thing-which-is-not-belong-to-you/) Jawad Khalid > [¥¥ HAPPINESS and ME… we always play Hide-n-seek, till date couldn't understand that Who is Hiding & Who is Seeking…….](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ammy-gill/happiness-and-me-we-always-play-hide-n-seek-till-date-couldn-t/) Ammy\_gill > [Just try to feel happiness with your gf that is the right coordinate to get happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mithun/just-try-to-feel-happiness-with-your-gf-that-is-the-right-coordinate/) Mithun > [Its better to have happyness into your life because god is the one who makes your day brighter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalya-johnson/its-better-to-have-happyness-into-your-life-because-god-is-the-one/) [Natalya Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalya-johnson/) > [You know you are in love when the smallest actions of your beloved gives you the biggest joys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ankita/you-know-you-are-in-love-when-the-smallest-actions-of-your-beloved/) [Ankita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ankita/) > [“Teachers should teach people about the laws of the Universe, love, healthy life My VISION about the FUTURE No Healers, No Doctors, Teaches only”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slobodan-boban-manic/teachers-should-teach-people-about-the-laws-of-the-universe-love/) [Slobodan Boban Manic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slobodan-boban-manic/) > [“She looked up, over the bandage that was nestled under her chin, and saw that the big-belly man with the red beard was starting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-gidwitz/she-looked-up-over-the-bandage-that-was-nestled-under-her-chin-and/) [Adam Gidwitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-gidwitz/) > [Every time I look at your picture I always cry because you told me that you will never let me go and now when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-jessenia/every-time-i-look-at-your-picture-i-always-cry-because-you-told-me/) [Jess Jessenia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-jessenia/) ## More by Carlos Ruiz Zafón > [“Our world will not die as a result of the bomb, as the papers say, it will die of laughter, of banality, of making a joke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/our-world-will-not-die-as-a-result-of-the-bomb-as-the-papers-say-it/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [“I carried the trace of her lips, of her breath on my skin through streets full of faceless people escaping from offices and shops.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/i-carried-the-trace-of-her-lips-of-her-breath-on-my-skin-through/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafón](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [“Nekada davno, u djetinjstvu, možda is toga što sam odrastao među knjigama i knjižarima, odlučio sam da želim postati pisac i živjeti životom punim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/nekada-davno-u-djetinjstvu-mo-da-is-toga-to-sam-odrastao-me-u/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafón](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [“nations never see themselves clearly in the mirror, much less when war preys on their minds.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/nations-never-see-themselves-clearly-in-the-mirror-much-less-when-war/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafón](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [People might not agree with me, but I think a woman should have a feminine shape, something you can get your hands on. You,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/people-might-not-agree-with-me-but-i-think-a-woman-should-have-a/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [“But I couldn't absorb the idea that death could actually walk by my side, with a human face and a heart that was poisoned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/but-i-couldn-t-absorb-the-idea-that-death-could-actually-walk-by-my/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafón](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [“Wise men think and speak alike.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/wise-men-think-and-speak-alike/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafón](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [“Time plays for the other team.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/time-plays-for-the-other-team/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafón](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [Once I'd worked out that I couldn't possibly expect people to enjoy a monstrous, 3000-page book, I realised I could in fact create a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/once-i-d-worked-out-that-i-couldn-t-possibly-expect-people-to-enjoy-a/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [The haunting of history is ever present in Barcelona. I see cities as organisms, as living creatures. To me, Madrid is a man and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/the-haunting-of-history-is-ever-present-in-barcelona-i-see-cities-as/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [Waiting is the rust of the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/waiting-is-the-rust-of-the-soul/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [“The main pillar of organized religion, with few exceptions, is the subjugation, repression, even the annulment of women in the group. Woman must accept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/the-main-pillar-of-organized-religion-with-few-exceptions-is-the/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafón](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [“Bea says that the art of reading is slowly dying, that it's an intimate ritual, that a book is a mirror that offers us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/bea-says-that-the-art-of-reading-is-slowly-dying-that-it-s-an/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [Human beings believe just as they breathe - in order to survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/human-beings-believe-just-as-they-breathe-in-order-to-survive/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [“Darwin was a dreamer, I can assure you. No evolution or anything of the sort. For every one who can reason, I have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/darwin-was-a-dreamer-i-can-assure-you-no-evolution-or-anything-of-the/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafón](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) [Explore all 785 Carlos Ruiz Zafón quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) ## More 20th century quotes > [I think the inhabitants of the past are fighting hard to keep the rents they acquired in the 20th century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bennet/i-think-the-inhabitants-of-the-past-are-fighting-hard-to-keep-the/) [Michael Bennet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bennet/) > [Corporate America is a 20th-century dinosaur, trembling on the edge of extinction, and the only way for you to have a genuinely secure future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/corporate-america-is-a-20th-century-dinosaur-trembling-on-the-edge-of/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [America thrived in the 20th century because we made high school free. We sent a generation to college. We cultivated the most educated workforce…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/america-thrived-in-the-20th-century-because-we-made-high-school-free/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The 20th century has been marked by cynicism, selfishness, greed, and the desire to please, all without changing the status quo. In the 21st…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/the-20th-century-has-been-marked-by-cynicism-selfishness-greed-and/) [Óscar Arias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/) > [I've studied the lives of the 20th century's great businessmen and concluded self-confidence was instrumental in all their success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-spanos/i-ve-studied-the-lives-of-the-20th-century-s-great-businessmen-and/) [Alex Spanos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-spanos/) > [Universal literacy was a 20th-century goal. Before then, reading and writing were skills largely confined to a small, highly educated class of professional people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-mackay/universal-literacy-was-a-20th-century-goal-before-then-reading-and/) [Hugh Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-mackay/) > [The great wars of the 20th Century made it into the worst Century ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-ambrose/the-great-wars-of-the-20th-century-made-it-into-the-worst-century-ever/) [Stephen Ambrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-ambrose/) > [That is very different from how it used to be in the 20th century. Media was very one way. There's a small little industry.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-gordon-levitt/that-is-very-different-from-how-it-used-to-be-in-the-20th-century/) [Joseph Gordon-Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-gordon-levitt/) > [If you look back on the history of the 20th century, the 19th century or even to the ancien régime of the 18th, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zygmunt-bauman/if-you-look-back-on-the-history-of-the-20th-century-the-19th-century/) [Zygmunt Bauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zygmunt-bauman/) > [Up to the 20th century, we can say that this whole period was an Earth epoch, 'Earth' meaning the riches of the earth, simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lech-walesa/up-to-the-20th-century-we-can-say-that-this-whole-period-was-an-earth/) [Lech Walesa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lech-walesa/) > [I think this century more than any other really has seen the phenomenon of people being uprooted in such numbers, such a degree. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/i-think-this-century-more-than-any-other-really-has-seen-the/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [If you look at that incredible burst of fantastic characters that emerged in the late 19th century/early 20th century, you can see so many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/if-you-look-at-that-incredible-burst-of-fantastic-characters-that/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [Cruel and paradoxical though it undoubtedly is, the record shows that yje most succesful 20th century monarchs have been those who were not actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cannadine/cruel-and-paradoxical-though-it-undoubtedly-is-the-record-shows-that/) [David Cannadine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cannadine/) > [An interesting thing about New Zealand, you know, literature is that it really didn't begin in any real sense until the 20th century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/an-interesting-thing-about-new-zealand-you-know-literature-is-that-it/) [Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/) > [The Warmth of Other Suns is a sweeping and yet deeply personal tale of America's hidden 20th century history - the long and difficult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-brokaw/the-warmth-of-other-suns-is-a-sweeping-and-yet-deeply-personal-tale/) [Tom Brokaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brokaw/) Browse all 672 20th century quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“ I knew then that I would devote every minute we had left together to making her happy, to repairing the pain I had caused her and returning to her what I never known how to give her. 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