--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Widowed were not those alive, but those…" description: "\"“Widowed were not those alive, but those who were dead.”\" — Cristiane Serruya" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/cristiane-serruya-12079_alive_widowed-were-not-those-alive-but-those-w_1311191.jpg" --- # Widowed were not those alive, but those who were dead. ![“Widowed were not those alive, but those who were dead.” quote by Cristiane Serruya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/cristiane-serruya-12079_alive_widowed-were-not-those-alive-but-those-w_1311191.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/cristiane-serruya-12079_alive_widowed-were-not-those-alive-but-those-w_1311191.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/cristiane-serruya-12079_alive_widowed-were-not-those-alive-but-those-w_1311191.jpg) > ““Widowed were not those alive, but those who were dead.”” [Cristiane Serruya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristiane-serruya/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being alive without purpose feels like death; true life is defined by meaning. **In simple terms:** Purpose gives life meaning. Key Takeaway Seek purposeful living. Themes existentialism purpose life death Mood reflective poignant Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career choices - volunteering - creative projects Key Concepts meaning‑making philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What gives your life purpose? - How do you revive a stagnant period? A Different Perspective The quote may conflate apathy with death, oversimplifying mental health. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) [Lost love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost-love/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Widowed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/widowed/) ## Related quotes > [A dead man in Spain is more alive than a dead man anywhere in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-garc-a-lorca/a-dead-man-in-spain-is-more-alive-than-a-dead-man-anywhere-in-the/) [Federico Garcia Lorca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-garc-a-lorca/) > [“A man is little use when his wife’s a widow. Scottish proverb”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-dexter/a-man-is-little-use-when-his-wife-s-a-widow-scottish-proverb/) [Colin Dexter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-dexter/) > [“one may scarcely find one man among seven women, so many women are there widowed whilst their husbands are alive’.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-hilton/one-may-scarcely-find-one-man-among-seven-women-so-many-women-are/) [Lisa Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-hilton/) > [My rage is gone, And I am struck with sorrow. Take him up. Help, three o' th' chiefest soldiers; I'll be one. Beat thou…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/my-rage-is-gone-and-i-am-struck-with-sorrow-take-him-up-help-three-o/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [My mother was widowed twice before she turned forty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/my-mother-was-widowed-twice-before-she-turned-forty/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [Statistically, people who have been happily married and then widowed tend to remarry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigella-lawson/statistically-people-who-have-been-happily-married-and-then-widowed/) [Nigella Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigella-lawson/) > [“I am an anomaly - a woman alone, too young to be widowed and too old to be looking for a mate. I occupy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-gillard/i-am-an-anomaly-a-woman-alone-too-young-to-be-widowed-and-too-old-to/) [Linda Gillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-gillard/) > [“Are you a relative of her late husband?” the woman asked. His eyes widened. “I beg your pardon?” “It must be so hard for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-palmer/are-you-a-relative-of-her-late-husband-the-woman-asked-his-eyes/) [Diana Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-palmer/) > [Grief is only the memory of widowed affections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-martineau/grief-is-only-the-memory-of-widowed-affections/) [James Martineau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-martineau/) > [For everyone, whatever his state--single, married, widowed, or priest-chastity is a triumphant affirmation of love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josemaria-escriva/for-everyone-whatever-his-state-single-married-widowed-or-priest/) [Josemaria Escriva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josemaria-escriva/) > [I sometimes think that being widowed is God's way of telling you to come off the Pill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-wood/i-sometimes-think-that-being-widowed-is-god-s-way-of-telling-you-to/) [Victoria Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-wood/) > [Right now, too many women who reach retirement age find themselves widowed or single, relying on their Social Security check for over half of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-biggert/right-now-too-many-women-who-reach-retirement-age-find-themselves/) [Judy Biggert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-biggert/) > [“Only one word describes a woman widowed for the second time on her wedding night – cursed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-m-grant/only-one-word-describes-a-woman-widowed-for-the-second-time-on-her/) [Jean M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-m-grant/) > [Many divorced or widowed people do with their singleness what they should have done before they married for the first time: live alone, find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harville-hendrix/many-divorced-or-widowed-people-do-with-their-singleness-what-they/) [Harville Hendrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harville-hendrix/) > [I live in New York, and when you're older and widowed, it's a perfect place because you just don't feel lonely there, and, luckily,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blythe-danner/i-live-in-new-york-and-when-you-re-older-and-widowed-it-s-a-perfect/) [Blythe Danner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blythe-danner/) ## More by Cristiane Serruya > [“Sophia, you’re the best thing that could have happened to Alistair. I’ve never seen him happier than he is now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristiane-serruya/sophia-you-re-the-best-thing-that-could-have-happened-to-alistair-i/) [Cristiane Serruya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristiane-serruya/) > [“One can say that Javert is our conscience. The ever lurking presence of the law and our own condemnation. The tension between who we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristiane-serruya/one-can-say-that-javert-is-our-conscience-the-ever-lurking-presence/) [Cristiane Serruya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristiane-serruya/) > [“Love is not about oneself, but about the other. It's not about keeping, but about freeing. Love is not love if not shared.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristiane-serruya/love-is-not-about-oneself-but-about-the-other-it-s-not-about-keeping/) [Cristiane Serruya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristiane-serruya/) > [“I believe in witches, Sophia,” his deep voice hypnotized her. “I hope you don’t burn me at the stake,” she murmured to him. “I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristiane-serruya/i-believe-in-witches-sophia-his-deep-voice-hypnotized-her-i-hope-you/) [Cristiane Serruya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristiane-serruya/) > [“You don't have to thank me. Ever. You're my wife and I want to share everything with you. Every little thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristiane-serruya/you-don-t-have-to-thank-me-ever-you-re-my-wife-and-i-want-to-share/) [Cristiane Serruya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristiane-serruya/) > [“It was like the sun had appeared again in my life, Sophia, You. You changed everything when you stepped into that room. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristiane-serruya/it-was-like-the-sun-had-appeared-again-in-my-life-sophia-you-you/) [Cristiane Serruya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristiane-serruya/) > [“In truth, his most ardent fantasy was to hear her saying the three words he had repeated so often already. I love you .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristiane-serruya/in-truth-his-most-ardent-fantasy-was-to-hear-her-saying-the-three/) [Cristiane Serruya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristiane-serruya/) > [“It was all about money. Dirty, bloody money. It can come and go so easily. They don't see that life is what's important. Love,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristiane-serruya/it-was-all-about-money-dirty-bloody-money-it-can-come-and-go-so/) [Cristiane Serruya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristiane-serruya/) > [“Maybe you're starting to move on, my love. But to fully do it, you have to let the guilt go. Gabriel will always be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristiane-serruya/maybe-you-re-starting-to-move-on-my-love-but-to-fully-do-it-you-have/) [Cristiane Serruya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristiane-serruya/) > [“Sophia is worth a change. I have to make the right choices from now on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristiane-serruya/sophia-is-worth-a-change-i-have-to-make-the-right-choices-from-now-on/) [Cristiane Serruya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristiane-serruya/) > [“Don't cry. She wouldn't like it. When I missed my father, I used to cry. Mama taught me when I cry, he is sad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristiane-serruya/don-t-cry-she-wouldn-t-like-it-when-i-missed-my-father-i-used-to-cry/) [Cristiane Serruya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristiane-serruya/) > [“Sometimes, silence speaks louder than words. Just because it is peaceful, it doesn’t mean it is still and void, as a few may think.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristiane-serruya/sometimes-silence-speaks-louder-than-words-just-because-it-is/) [Cristiane Serruya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristiane-serruya/) > [“As a rule, people tend to forget the most important things in life when money, power and lust are involved.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristiane-serruya/as-a-rule-people-tend-to-forget-the-most-important-things-in-life/) [Cristiane Serruya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristiane-serruya/) > [“No matter how hard she tried to maintain her calm and collected persona, she knew it was all a ruse. All she wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristiane-serruya/no-matter-how-hard-she-tried-to-maintain-her-calm-and-collected/) [Cristiane Serruya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristiane-serruya/) > [“Nonetheless, risk is a part of life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristiane-serruya/nonetheless-risk-is-a-part-of-life/) [Cristiane Serruya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristiane-serruya/) [Explore all 56 Cristiane Serruya quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristiane-serruya/) ## More Alive quotes > [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/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) Adam Ant > [I don't crave applause. I'm not one of those guys who comes alive on stage. I'm much more alive at home, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-don-t-crave-applause-i-m-not-one-of-those-guys-who-comes-alive-on/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [We must master our egoism, and through this mastery, step outside ourselves and educate ourselves in giving. Fasting requires that we rediscover all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/we-must-master-our-egoism-and-through-this-mastery-step-outside/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [I can't say that there are 'things' that make me come alive. There are thoughts that make me come alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-can-t-say-that-there-are-things-that-make-me-come-alive-there-are/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [We're like the wicked witch. We promise gingerbread, then eat the little brats alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/we-re-like-the-wicked-witch-we-promise-gingerbread-then-eat-the/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-costas/if-jovan-belcher-didn-t-possess-a-gun-he-and-kasandra-perkins-would/) [Bob Costas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-costas/) > [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/) [David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/) > [I think adoption becomes complicated whenever the biological parents are alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haven/i-think-adoption-becomes-complicated-whenever-the-biological-parents/) [James Haven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haven/) > [The pain of love is the pain of being alive. It is a perpetual wound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-duffy/the-pain-of-love-is-the-pain-of-being-alive-it-is-a-perpetual-wound/) [Maureen Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-duffy/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [If Melanchthon were alive today, he might not weep because of controversies that surround the Lord's Supper, but he might well sorrow because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-w-lutzer/if-melanchthon-were-alive-today-he-might-not-weep-because-of/) [Erwin W. Lutzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-w-lutzer/) > [If you’re alive, don’t move, if you’re dead, don’t worry about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/if-you-re-alive-don-t-move-if-you-re-dead-don-t-worry-about-it/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [Here Greek and Roman find themselves alive along these crowded shelves; and Shakespeare treads again his stage, and Chaucer paints anew his age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/here-greek-and-roman-find-themselves-alive-along-these-crowded/) [John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/) > [You're alive!" Fezzik cried. The man in black sat immobile, like a ventriloquist's dummy, just his mouth moving. "That is perhaps the most childishly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/you-re-alive-fezzik-cried-the-man-in-black-sat-immobile-like-a/) [William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) [Browse all 7,282 Alive quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Widowed were not those alive, but those who were dead.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cristiane Serruya" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristiane-serruya/widowed-were-not-those-alive-but-those-who-were-dead/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alive" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristiane-serruya/widowed-were-not-those-alive-but-those-who-were-dead/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/cristiane-serruya-12079_alive_widowed-were-not-those-alive-but-those-w_1311191.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/cristiane-serruya-12079_alive_widowed-were-not-those-alive-but-those-w_1311191.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/cristiane-serruya-12079_alive_widowed-were-not-those-alive-but-those-w_1311191.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Widowed were not those alive, but those who were dead.” — Cristiane Serruya", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Cristiane Serruya", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristiane-serruya/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Widowed were not those alive, but...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristiane-serruya/widowed-were-not-those-alive-but-those-who-were-dead/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristiane-serruya/widowed-were-not-those-alive-but-those-who-were-dead/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```