--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I did not cry. I only breathed. Horribly…" description: "\"“I did not cry. I only breathed. Horribly. Intentionally. And then forgot to breathe.”\" — Cheryl Strayed" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/cheryl-strayed-605_breathed_i-did-not-cry-i-only-breathed-horribly-i_2164322.png" --- # I did not cry. I only breathed. Horribly. Intentionally… ![“I did not cry. I only breathed. Horribly. Intentionally. And then forgot to breathe.” quote by Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/cheryl-strayed-605_breathed_i-did-not-cry-i-only-breathed-horribly-i_2164322.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/cheryl-strayed-605_breathed_i-did-not-cry-i-only-breathed-horribly-i_2164322.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/cheryl-strayed-605_breathed_i-did-not-cry-i-only-breathed-horribly-i_2164322.png) > ““I did not cry. I only breathed. Horribly. Intentionally. And then forgot to breathe.”” [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Describes a moment of intense emotional struggle, breathing intentionally yet forgetting to breathe, illustrating inner turmoil. **In simple terms:** Intense emotion can disrupt basic functions. Key Takeaway Observe and manage emotional overwhelm. Themes emotion resilience self-awareness Mood raw honest Type psychological inspirational When to use this quote - therapy sessions - personal crises - creative writing - exercise Key Concepts trauma coping mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - How do you notice when emotions overwhelm you? - What practices help you regain calm? A Different Perspective May romanticize suffering. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“Breathing is medicine. I forgot how to breathe, but I’m learning all over again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandi-lynn/breathing-is-medicine-i-forgot-how-to-breathe-but-i-m-learning-all/) [Mandi Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandi-lynn/) > [“Never," Max said, again ignoring me. "Never did I walk into a room and see her dressed to go out and forget how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/never-max-said-again-ignoring-me-never-did-i-walk-into-a-room-and-see/) [Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) > [“So beautiful, I forgot how to breathe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gideon/so-beautiful-i-forgot-how-to-breathe/) [Nancy Gideon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gideon/) > [“I just forgot to breathe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-garber/i-just-forgot-to-breathe/) [Stephanie Garber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-garber/) > [“Sam. What would he make of all this? If he’d been alive when she was captured, he would have had her out of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/sam-what-would-he-make-of-all-this-if-he-d-been-alive-when-she-was/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [“Whenever he was around, I always forgot to breathe-Diamond Anderson, One Man's Trash”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yolanda-allen/whenever-he-was-around-i-always-forgot-to-breathe-diamond-anderson/) Yolanda Allen > [“Landon? The door flug open, and I forgot how to breathe. Holy shit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meredith-wild/landon-the-door-flug-open-and-i-forgot-how-to-breathe-holy-shit/) [Meredith Wild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meredith-wild/) > [“Forgot to breathe, again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-v-brett/forgot-to-breathe-again/) [Peter V. Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-v-brett/) > [“Sometimes it all becomes too much. Your body and mind will just give way. Part of you may want to blissfully fade into nothing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandi-lynn/sometimes-it-all-becomes-too-much-your-body-and-mind-will-just-give/) [Mandi Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandi-lynn/) > [I forgot to breathe when I saw you; I think I love you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-forgot-to-breathe-when-i-saw-you-i-think-i-love-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The night air moved up towards the Downs, washing over sea and orchard. I breathed it in, and thought that henceforth, loneliness would smell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-r-king/the-night-air-moved-up-towards-the-downs-washing-over-sea-and-orchard/) [Laurie R. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-r-king/) > [All roads for me lead back to Mozart. In his tragically short life, he breathed new life, fire and meaning into every form of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-hazlewood/all-roads-for-me-lead-back-to-mozart-in-his-tragically-short-life-he/) [Charles Hazlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-hazlewood/) > [“At night, Toby breathed herself in. Her new self. Her skin smelled like honey and salt. And earth”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/at-night-toby-breathed-herself-in-her-new-self-her-skin-smelled-like/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“You haven't failed me. You've breathed so much life into my existence. Don't ever be sorry for that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-leighton/you-haven-t-failed-me-you-ve-breathed-so-much-life-into-my-existence/) [M. Leighton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-leighton/) > [My mother 'gave teas' the way other mothers breathed. Her own mother 'gave teas.' All of their friends 'gave teas,' each involving butter cookies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/my-mother-gave-teas-the-way-other-mothers-breathed-her-own-mother/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) ## More by Cheryl Strayed > [“She understands that attention is the first and final act of love, and that the ultimate dwindling resource in the human arrangement isn’t cheap…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/she-understands-that-attention-is-the-first-and-final-act-of-love-and/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“The most terrible and beautiful and interesting things happen in life. For some of you, those things have already happened. Whatever happens to you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/the-most-terrible-and-beautiful-and-interesting-things-happen-in-life/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [Of course you want someone special to love you. A majority of the people who write to me inquire about how they can get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/of-course-you-want-someone-special-to-love-you-a-majority-of-the/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [It's still true that literary works by women, gays, and writers of color are often framed as specific, rather than universal, small rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/it-s-still-true-that-literary-works-by-women-gays-and-writers-of/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [My whole life sort of ended when my mom died.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/my-whole-life-sort-of-ended-when-my-mom-died/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“And you have to do it no matter what is true. No matter what is hard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/and-you-have-to-do-it-no-matter-what-is-true-no-matter-what-is-hard/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“Don’t listen to those people who suggest you should be “over” your daughter’s death by now. The people who squawk the loudest about such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/don-t-listen-to-those-people-who-suggest-you-should-be-over-your/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“. . . there was the actual doing it, quickly followed by the grim realization of what it meant to do it, followed by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/there-was-the-actual-doing-it-quickly-followed-by-the-grim/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“The sky didn't wonder where it was.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/the-sky-didn-t-wonder-where-it-was/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [He was the most ordinary man in all the world, and yet in her memory he'd become luminous, like the prince in a fairy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/he-was-the-most-ordinary-man-in-all-the-world-and-yet-in-her-memory/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [Love is our essential nutrient. Without it, life has little meaning. It's the best thing we have to give and the most valuable thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/love-is-our-essential-nutrient-without-it-life-has-little-meaning-it/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“I never believed the boys were angry. I believed they were hurt and anger was the safest manifestation of their sorrow. It was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/i-never-believed-the-boys-were-angry-i-believed-they-were-hurt-and/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“It’s wrong that this is required of you. It’s wrong that your son died. It will always be wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/it-s-wrong-that-this-is-required-of-you-it-s-wrong-that-your-son-died/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“Your ultimatum is simple. It’s fair. And it’s stating your own intentions, not what you hope theirs will be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/your-ultimatum-is-simple-it-s-fair-and-it-s-stating-your-own/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“We aren't poor," my mother said, again and again. "Because we're rich in love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/we-aren-t-poor-my-mother-said-again-and-again-because-we-re-rich-in/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) [Explore all 450 Cheryl Strayed quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) ## More Breathed quotes > [My mother 'gave teas' the way other mothers breathed. Her own mother 'gave teas.' All of their friends 'gave teas,' each involving butter cookies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/my-mother-gave-teas-the-way-other-mothers-breathed-her-own-mother/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [“You haven't failed me. You've breathed so much life into my existence. Don't ever be sorry for that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-leighton/you-haven-t-failed-me-you-ve-breathed-so-much-life-into-my-existence/) [M. Leighton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-leighton/) > [“At night, Toby breathed herself in. Her new self. Her skin smelled like honey and salt. And earth”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/at-night-toby-breathed-herself-in-her-new-self-her-skin-smelled-like/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [All roads for me lead back to Mozart. In his tragically short life, he breathed new life, fire and meaning into every form of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-hazlewood/all-roads-for-me-lead-back-to-mozart-in-his-tragically-short-life-he/) [Charles Hazlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-hazlewood/) > [“The night air moved up towards the Downs, washing over sea and orchard. I breathed it in, and thought that henceforth, loneliness would smell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-r-king/the-night-air-moved-up-towards-the-downs-washing-over-sea-and-orchard/) [Laurie R. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-r-king/) > [“This is perfect." I breathed. "Please tell me it won't end. Promise me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alicia-kobishop/this-is-perfect-i-breathed-please-tell-me-it-won-t-end-promise-me/) [Alicia Kobishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alicia-kobishop/) > [“I felt I hadn't breathed since early morning, that my heart had not beat-and only now for the first time I took a breath,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yevgeny-zamyatin/i-felt-i-hadn-t-breathed-since-early-morning-that-my-heart-had-not/) [Yevgeny Zamyatin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yevgeny-zamyatin/) > [“In this reality, they breathed together, chests nearly touching on their inhalations, lips slightly parted like they could taste the sweetness of each other’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roan-parrish/in-this-reality-they-breathed-together-chests-nearly-touching-on/) [Roan Parrish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roan-parrish/) > [I read the Koran and it appealed to me. At the time I was agnostic and it really breathed spiritually back into me. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/q-tip/i-read-the-koran-and-it-appealed-to-me-at-the-time-i-was-agnostic-and/) [Q-Tip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/q-tip/) > [I'm so sorry for not being there for you.. When you needed someone, the most. At your last time, your breathed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-so-sorry-for-not-being-there-for-you-when-you-needed-someone-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being alive was all right then: he had not breathed like that for a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-marmon-silko/being-alive-was-all-right-then-he-had-not-breathed-like-that-for-a/) [Leslie Marmon Silko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-marmon-silko/) > [There's an interesting contrast between born Catholics and converts. Converts are often much more rule-directed. Catholicism isn't something that they breathed in from their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-wills/there-s-an-interesting-contrast-between-born-catholics-and-converts/) [Garry Wills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-wills/) > [I missed you so much, she breathed. I tilted my head back and put my hands on her shoulders. I could hardly believe this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-missed-you-so-much-she-breathed-i-tilted-my-head-back-and-put-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Beauty isn't perfect. It's something to be felt and something to be breathed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-jaden/beauty-isn-t-perfect-it-s-something-to-be-felt-and-something-to-be/) [Denise Jaden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-jaden/) > [Nothing is wrong with me, Dan. Whats wrong with you? she said in the same eerily quiet voice, dark eyes fixated on Dan, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-hopkins/nothing-is-wrong-with-me-dan-whats-wrong-with-you-she-said-in-the/) Martin Hopkins Browse all 130 Breathed quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I did not cry. I only breathed. Horribly. Intentionally. 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