--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Just as I had done, my father sleeps off…" description: "\"“Just as I had done, my father sleeps off and on for days. Sometimes I sit by the bed in Marta's house and stare at him until I feel like it isn't a dr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dba/celia-mcmahon-75333_dream_just-as-i-had-done-my-father-sleeps-off_526941.jpg" --- # Just as I had done, my father sleeps off and on for days… ![“Just as I had done, my father sleeps off and on for days. Sometimes I sit by the bed in Marta's house and stare at him until I feel like it isn't a dream anymore. Sometimes Jimmi joins me and sometimes, when I'm alone I weep and I am not sure why. Maybe it's because of everything I had been…” quote by Celia Mcmahon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dba/celia-mcmahon-75333_dream_just-as-i-had-done-my-father-sleeps-off_526941.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dba/celia-mcmahon-75333_dream_just-as-i-had-done-my-father-sleeps-off_526941.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dba/celia-mcmahon-75333_dream_just-as-i-had-done-my-father-sleeps-off_526941.jpg) > ““Just as I had done, my father sleeps off and on for days. Sometimes I sit by the bed in Marta's house and stare at him until I feel like it isn't a dream anymore. Sometimes Jimmi joins me and sometimes, when I'm alone I weep and I am not sure why. Maybe it's because of everything I had been through to get to this point or maybe it was for everything I had lost. Part of me thinks that I should be glad for all of the things I had gained. But the hero doesn't get the reward. The hero pays the price. As it is in every story.”” Celia Mcmahon ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage reflects on grief, sacrifice, and the bittersweet realization that heroes often endure suffering without reward. **In simple terms:** Heroes suffer and may not receive recognition. Key Takeaway Accept that sacrifice can be its own reward. Themes grief heroism self‑reflection loss resilience Mood melancholic contemplative Type philosophical emotional When to use this quote - therapy sessions - support groups - writing memoirs - artistic expression Key Concepts narrative archetype emotional processing personal growth Questions to Reflect On - What does “hero” mean to you? - How do you find meaning after loss? A Different Perspective It assumes a universal hero narrative that may not apply to all experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hero/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) ## Related quotes > [“The hero pays the price.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/the-hero-pays-the-price/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [“For every girl who needs a hero and doesn't yet realize she will become her own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-mendez-brooks/for-every-girl-who-needs-a-hero-and-doesn-t-yet-realize-she-will/) [A.J. Mendez Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-mendez-brooks/) > [“One of the things about Ike that makes him so indisputably a hero is that he doesn't leave his own contradictions to the effete…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leyner/one-of-the-things-about-ike-that-makes-him-so-indisputably-a-hero-is/) [Mark Leyner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leyner/) > [Every hero doesn't do this great big hero thing. They do the simple thing over and over... and they stick to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mcconaughey/every-hero-doesn-t-do-this-great-big-hero-thing-they-do-the-simple/) [Matthew McConaughey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mcconaughey/) > [In war-time a man is called a hero. It doesn't make him any braver, and he runs for his life. But at least it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-giraudoux/in-war-time-a-man-is-called-a-hero-it-doesn-t-make-him-any-braver-and/) [Jean Giraudoux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-giraudoux/) > [A hero that doesn't look like you makes you want to be something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-m-chu/a-hero-that-doesn-t-look-like-you-makes-you-want-to-be-something-else/) [Jon M. Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-m-chu/) > [The thing about a hero, is even when it doesn't look like there's a light at the end of the tunnel, he's going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/the-thing-about-a-hero-is-even-when-it-doesn-t-look-like-there-s-a/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [Being a hero doesn't mean you succeed in saving the day. It just means you tried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-marsters/being-a-hero-doesn-t-mean-you-succeed-in-saving-the-day-it-just-means/) [James Marsters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-marsters/) > [“No–one believes they’re a hero. But that doesn’t mean they’re not heroic - Captain Spectre.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-outlaw/no-one-believes-they-re-a-hero-but-that-doesn-t-mean-they-re-not/) Kevin Outlaw > [“A real hero doesn't expect to be thanked or even recognized.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-collins/a-real-hero-doesn-t-expect-to-be-thanked-or-even-recognized/) Tom Collins > [“It may not feel too classy, begging just to eat But you know who does that? Lassie, and she always gets a treat So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/it-may-not-feel-too-classy-begging-just-to-eat-but-you-know-who-does/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [There's so much importance in honoring your everyday hero. It doesn't take money. It doesn't take connections. What matters is that people get involved.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debi-mazar/there-s-so-much-importance-in-honoring-your-everyday-hero-it-doesn-t/) [Debi Mazar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debi-mazar/) > [“My generation, we were kind of raised on the super-cool, “I can handle anything” with a gun in his hand hero. Any situation you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-pascale/my-generation-we-were-kind-of-raised-on-the-super-cool-i-can-handle/) [Amy Pascale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-pascale/) > [Being the hero doesn't bother me, but being part of a successful team does bother me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lallana/being-the-hero-doesn-t-bother-me-but-being-part-of-a-successful-team/) [Adam Lallana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lallana/) > [A hero doesn't have to do extraordinary things to live up to that title. A hero can be someone who helps a neighbor cut…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hero/a-hero-doesn-t-have-to-do-extraordinary-things-to-live-up-to-that/) [Hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hero/) ## More by Celia Mcmahon > [“My dear cousin means the world to me. He is my only ally and I lost him. Deep in my heart I know he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celia-mcmahon/my-dear-cousin-means-the-world-to-me-he-is-my-only-ally-and-i-lost/) Celia Mcmahon > [“When I am brave enough to say goodbye I'll use the wings you gave me and away I'll fly”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celia-mcmahon/when-i-am-brave-enough-to-say-goodbye-i-ll-use-the-wings-you-gave-me/) Celia Mcmahon Explore all 3 Celia Mcmahon quotes ## More Dream quotes > [“Once we become sensitive to dreams, we discover that every dynamic in a dream is manifesting itself in some way in our practical lives”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-johnson/once-we-become-sensitive-to-dreams-we-discover-that-every-dynamic-in/) [Robert A. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-johnson/) > [A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;It's loveliness increase;it will never pass into nothingness;but still will keep a bower quiet for us,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-for-ever-it-s-loveliness-increase-it-will/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [Academically, I was never that interested. I skipped classes. My biggest dream was to have a coffee shop, but I had no idea how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-espinosa/academically-i-was-never-that-interested-i-skipped-classes-my-biggest/) [Daniel Espinosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-espinosa/) > [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/) [Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/) > [Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-bennington/alone-in-a-world-with-millions-of-souls-walking-in-circles-trapped-in/) [Chester Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-bennington/) > [“Doing the work to transform your dreams into reality is like walking across the earth. It can be that hard, and it can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu/doing-the-work-to-transform-your-dreams-into-reality-is-like-walking/) [Dragos Bratasanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu/) > [As far as Im concerned, I didnt dream - ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/as-far-as-im-concerned-i-didnt-dream-ever/) [Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/) > [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/) [Liza Soberano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-soberano/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-life-seems-like-a-dream-especially-when-i-look-down-and-see/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [“I had a dream. I had an awesome dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-had-a-dream-i-had-an-awesome-dream/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/his-dream-must-have-seemed-so-close-that-he-could-hardly-fail-to/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) [Browse all 26,527 Dream quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Just as I had done, my father sleeps off and on for days. Sometimes I sit by the bed in Marta's house and stare at him until I feel like it isn't a dream anymore. Sometimes Jimmi joins me and sometimes, when I'm alone I weep and I am not sure why. Maybe it's because of everything I had been through to get to this point or maybe it was for everything I had lost. 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