--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As the elevator door started to close…" description: "\"“As the elevator door started to close, she stood and put up one hand to wave goodbye. That’s one of those frozen memories for me, because there was so..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0e/carol-rifka-brunt-3944_save-the-world_as-the-elevator-door-started-to-close-sh_2706602.png" --- # As the elevator door started to close, she stood and put… ![“As the elevator door started to close, she stood and put up one hand to wave goodbye. That’s one of those frozen memories for me, because there was something in Greta’s solemn wave that made me understand it was about something bigger. That as the elevator door eclipsed the look between us, we…” quote by Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0e/carol-rifka-brunt-3944_save-the-world_as-the-elevator-door-started-to-close-sh_2706602.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0e/carol-rifka-brunt-3944_save-the-world_as-the-elevator-door-started-to-close-sh_2706602.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0e/carol-rifka-brunt-3944_save-the-world_as-the-elevator-door-started-to-close-sh_2706602.png) > ““As the elevator door started to close, she stood and put up one hand to wave goodbye. That’s one of those frozen memories for me, because there was something in Greta’s solemn wave that made me understand it was about something bigger. That as the elevator door eclipsed the look between us, we were really saying goodbye to the girls we used to be. Girls who knew how to play invisible mermaids, who could run through dark aisles, pretending to save the world.”” [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. An elevator goodbye symbolizes leaving childhood innocence for adult responsibilities. **In simple terms:** Farewell to youthful imagination as we grow. Key Takeaway Acknowledge and cherish past selves. Themes growth nostalgia transition Mood reflective melancholic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - life changes - career shifts - personal milestones Key Concepts coming‑of‑age memory identity formation Questions to Reflect On - What “invisible mermaids” represent in your life? - How do you honor your younger self? A Different Perspective May romanticize loss of innocence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Goodbye Frozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goodbye-frozen-2774837/) [Goodbye Girls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goodbye-girls-2519171/) [Memories Greta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories-greta-2774836/) [Save the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/save-the-world/) [Saying goodbye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saying-goodbye/) [Wave Goodbye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wave-goodbye-323011/) ## Related quotes > [“They got their happy ending. That’s the only reason why I can make myself walk away, make myself say goodbye to my girls, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mia-asher/they-got-their-happy-ending-that-s-the-only-reason-why-i-can-make/) [Mia Asher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mia-asher/) > [If you never stop when you wave goodbye you just might find, if you give it time, you will wave hello again...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mayer/if-you-never-stop-when-you-wave-goodbye-you-just-might-find-if-you/) [John Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mayer/) > [If someone wont lift a finger to call you, see you, and spend time with you, its time for you to lift five fingers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/if-someone-wont-lift-a-finger-to-call-you-see-you-and-spend-time-with/) [Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/) > [If someone won't lift a finger to call you, see you and spend time with you then its time to lift your five fingers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-someone-won-t-lift-a-finger-to-call-you-see-you-and-spend-time-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No matter how close we got to a station or a disc jockey ... they could disappear into the ether without so much as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fong-torres/no-matter-how-close-we-got-to-a-station-or-a-disc-jockey-they-could/) [Ben Fong-Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fong-torres/) > [If he is stupid enough to walk away make sure to wave him goodbye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-he-is-stupid-enough-to-walk-away-make-sure-to-wave-him-goodbye/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [IF SOMEONE WON'T LIFT A FINGER TO CALL YOU, SEE YOU, and SPEND TIME WITH YOU, it's TIME FOR YOU TO LIFT 5 FINGERS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyssa/if-someone-won-t-lift-a-finger-to-call-you-see-you-and-spend-time/) [ALYSSA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyssa/) > [“Even when you don't see old age coming, you can wave it goodbye”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benny-bellamacina/even-when-you-don-t-see-old-age-coming-you-can-wave-it-goodbye/) [Benny Bellamacina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benny-bellamacina/) > [“If you're saying farewell to your arms, what do you use to wave goodbye?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/if-you-re-saying-farewell-to-your-arms-what-do-you-use-to-wave-goodbye/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [I don't regret every second spent with you, but it's time to wave goodbye to the memories I'm leaving behind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fad-ibra/i-don-t-regret-every-second-spent-with-you-but-it-s-time-to-wave/) [Fad Ibra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fad-ibra/) > [We come unbidden into this life, and if we are lucky we find a purpose beyond starvation, misery, and early death which, lest we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-verghese/we-come-unbidden-into-this-life-and-if-we-are-lucky-we-find-a-purpose/) [Abraham Verghese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-verghese/) > [He went to Paris looking for answers to questions that bothered him so. 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So dangerous. Those little touches were everything. I lived fro them. You can build a whole world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/there-was-something-so-electric-about-it-so-dangerous-those-little/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) > [“It seemed like life was a sort of narrowing tunnel. Right when you were born, the tunnel was huge. You could be anything. Then,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/it-seemed-like-life-was-a-sort-of-narrowing-tunnel-right-when-you/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) > [“Opening a present from a live person was scary enough. 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"Look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/things-you-d-never-even-seen-with-finn-could-remind-you-of-him/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) > [“Because maybe I don't want to leave the planet invisible. Maybe I need at least one person to remember something about me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/because-maybe-i-don-t-want-to-leave-the-planet-invisible-maybe-i-need/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) > [I stared hard, trying to find a pattern. Thinking if I kept looking hard enough, maybe the pieces of the world would fit back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/i-stared-hard-trying-to-find-a-pattern-thinking-if-i-kept-looking/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) > [“But maybe I am. Maybe that’s exactly what I am. Maybe all I wanted was for Toby to hear the wolves that lived in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/but-maybe-i-am-maybe-that-s-exactly-what-i-am-maybe-all-i-wanted-was/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) > [“We both knew we were the biggest nerds in the whole world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/we-both-knew-we-were-the-biggest-nerds-in-the-whole-world/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) > [“I didn’t want to care, but somehow, like always, I did. She was wired into my heart. Twisted and kinked and threaded right through.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/i-didn-t-want-to-care-but-somehow-like-always-i-did-she-was-wired/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) > [“What kind of party?” “The good kind.” “Yeah, right.” Greta knows that for me there are no good parties. I’m okay with one or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/what-kind-of-party-the-good-kind-yeah-right-greta-knows-that-for-me/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) > [“I stared out the window for the rest of the journey. Building, tree, car, car, van, wall, vacant lot, van. I stared hard, trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/i-stared-out-the-window-for-the-rest-of-the-journey-building-tree-car/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) > [“Greta knows that for me there are no good parties. I’m okay with one or two people, but more than that and I turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/greta-knows-that-for-me-there-are-no-good-parties-i-m-okay-with-one/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) > [“I thought it was good to test yourself sometimes. It was good to see how much you could take.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/i-thought-it-was-good-to-test-yourself-sometimes-it-was-good-to-see/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) [Explore all 113 Carol Rifka Brunt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) ## More Save the world quotes > [“How can you make an informed decision about whether to save the world if you never leave your tiny part of it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-david-hutchinson/how-can-you-make-an-informed-decision-about-whether-to-save-the-world/) [Shaun David Hutchinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-david-hutchinson/) > [What did you do to save the world today?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richie/what-did-you-do-to-save-the-world-today/) [Richie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richie/) > [When we struggle for human rights, for freedom, for dignity, when we feel that it is a ministry of the church to concern itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-we-struggle-for-human-rights-for-freedom-for-dignity-when-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [He went to Paris looking for answers to questions that bothered him so. He was impressive, young and aggressive, saving the world on his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-buffett/he-went-to-paris-looking-for-answers-to-questions-that-bothered-him/) [Jimmy Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-buffett/) > [We come unbidden into this life, and if we are lucky we find a purpose beyond starvation, misery, and early death which, lest we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-verghese/we-come-unbidden-into-this-life-and-if-we-are-lucky-we-find-a-purpose/) [Abraham Verghese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-verghese/) > [What are you going to do when you are not saving the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-zimmer/what-are-you-going-to-do-when-you-are-not-saving-the-world/) [Hans Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-zimmer/) > [I'm not going to save the world or anything, but I think it's time I did my bit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-casey/i-m-not-going-to-save-the-world-or-anything-but-i-think-it-s-time-i/) [Paul Casey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-casey/) > [“God has chosen to save the world through the cross, through the shameful and powerless death of the crucified Messiah. If that shocking event…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hays/god-has-chosen-to-save-the-world-through-the-cross-through-the/) [Richard Hays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hays/) > [The literary scene is filled with young people now, which is a great joy. They seem fully capable of saving the world, as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-wanek/the-literary-scene-is-filled-with-young-people-now-which-is-a-great/) [Connie Wanek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-wanek/) > [We can no longer save the world by playing by the rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-thunburg/we-can-no-longer-save-the-world-by-playing-by-the-rules/) [Greta Thunburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-thunburg/) > [You can't save the world...save YOUR heart. Be a catalyst & create a life where you are powerful. Rebel. Be happy & allow others happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-t-save-the-world-save-your-heart-be-a-catalyst-create-a-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It does not take a great supernatural heroine or magical hero to save the world.We all save it every day, and we all destroy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/it-does-not-take-a-great-supernatural-heroine-or-magical-hero-to-save/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [“Can a better kind of fiction save the world? 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Saving the world, one act of random destruction at a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/harry-dresden-saving-the-world-one-act-of-random-destruction-at-a-time/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) [Browse all 491 Save the world quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/save-the-world/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“As the elevator door started to close, she stood and put up one hand to wave goodbye. That’s one of those frozen memories for me, because there was something in Greta’s solemn wave that made me understand it was about something bigger. That as the elevator door eclipsed the look between us, we were really saying goodbye to the girls we used to be. 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