--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The problem, says my sister, Kelly, is…" description: "\"“The problem, says my sister, Kelly, is not that I can't get over Naomi - it's that I refuse to… Loving Naomi and waiting for her to come back to me - ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d23/david-levithan-67_goals_the-problem-says-my-sister-kelly-is-not_73994.jpg" --- # The problem, says my sister, Kelly, is not that I can't… ![“The problem, says my sister, Kelly, is not that I can't get over Naomi - it's that I refuse to… Loving Naomi and waiting for her to come back to me - it's not a stalker thing, but more like a personal mission. A job.” quote by David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d23/david-levithan-67_goals_the-problem-says-my-sister-kelly-is-not_73994.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d23/david-levithan-67_goals_the-problem-says-my-sister-kelly-is-not_73994.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d23/david-levithan-67_goals_the-problem-says-my-sister-kelly-is-not_73994.jpg) > ““The problem, says my sister, Kelly, is not that I can't get over Naomi - it's that I refuse to… Loving Naomi and waiting for her to come back to me - it's not a stalker thing, but more like a personal mission. A job.”” [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker sees their persistent love as a purposeful quest rather than an unhealthy obsession, framing it as a personal mission. **In simple terms:** Love as a mission Key Takeaway Love can feel like a purposeful quest Themes unrequited love personal mission identity obsession self‑justification Mood determined melancholic hopeful Type personal confession philosophical reflection When to use this quote - after a breakup - long‑distance longing - unreciprocated affection - personal growth phase Key Concepts emotional persistence self‑identity relationship dynamics Practical Applications - creative writing - therapy reflection Questions to Reflect On - What distinguishes a healthy pursuit from a harmful fixation? - How does framing love as a mission affect self‑esteem? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Personal mission](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-mission/) [Sister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sister/) ## Related quotes > [Taylor Gang or introduce your sister to R. 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You’ll thank me later,” she parroted back to her sister. “Says the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-kauffman/i-m-taking-thirty-to-shower-and-give-myself-a-full-body-lift-you-ll/) [Donna Kauffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-kauffman/) > [When you come to a place where you have to left or right,' says Sister Ruth, 'go straight ahead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-norris/when-you-come-to-a-place-where-you-have-to-left-or-right-says-sister/) [Kathleen Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-norris/) > [“I knew I wasn't going to figure out what she was up to just by reading her face; I seriously doubt there's an expression…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-hawkins/i-knew-i-wasn-t-going-to-figure-out-what-she-was-up-to-just-by/) [Rachel Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-hawkins/) > [“Hilary says to her sister, “You can’t eat only pie for lunch.” “Just watch me.” Lily plucks her ukulele out of the tote bag…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-lazebnik/hilary-says-to-her-sister-you-can-t-eat-only-pie-for-lunch-just-watch/) [Claire LaZebnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-lazebnik/) > [I'm motivated by fear of failure. It's a personal mission to say to all those people from years ago, 'Look, I'm seriously not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-evans/i-m-motivated-by-fear-of-failure-it-s-a-personal-mission-to-say-to/) [Lee Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-evans/) > [“you understand the purpose of a personal mission statement. It is the picture of where you want to end up—that is, your destination is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-covey/you-understand-the-purpose-of-a-personal-mission-statement-it-is-the/) [Stephen R. Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-covey/) > [A personal mission statement becomes the DNA for every other decision we make.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/a-personal-mission-statement-becomes-the-dna-for-every-other-decision/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [You wouldn't match Melanie and me up, and if we hadn't gotten stuck together as lab partners in junior high science, I doubt if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/you-wouldn-t-match-melanie-and-me-up-and-if-we-hadn-t-gotten-stuck/) [Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/) > [I believe that my personal mission in life is to grow and contribute, so I am learning and growing every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farrah-gray/i-believe-that-my-personal-mission-in-life-is-to-grow-and-contribute/) [Farrah Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farrah-gray/) > [Bodies are becoming our personal mission to tame, extend and perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susie-orbach/bodies-are-becoming-our-personal-mission-to-tame-extend-and-perfect/) [Susie Orbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-orbach/) > [The most effective way I know to begin with the end in mind is to develop a personal mission statement or philosophy or creed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/the-most-effective-way-i-know-to-begin-with-the-end-in-mind-is-to/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [I had been getting relaxers since I was eight or nine. I had no clue. It was a personal mission to really find out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teyonah-parris/i-had-been-getting-relaxers-since-i-was-eight-or-nine-i-had-no-clue/) [Teyonah Parris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teyonah-parris/) > [As CEO of Unilever, my personal mission is to galvanize our company to be an effective force for good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/as-ceo-of-unilever-my-personal-mission-is-to-galvanize-our-company-to/) [Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/) ## More by David Levithan > [“When you jump, all you're going to do is fall. But leaping? Leaping is when you think there's something on the other side.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/when-you-jump-all-you-re-going-to-do-is-fall-but-leaping-leaping-is/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“The past and the future are what's complicated. It's the present that's simple. And the simplicity is the sensation of it being just her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-past-and-the-future-are-what-s-complicated-it-s-the-present-that/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“I hate the way you talk to me And the way you cut your hair I hate the way you drive my car I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-hate-the-way-you-talk-to-me-and-the-way-you-cut-your-hair-i-hate/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [You could be the leaf that never falls from the tree you could be the sun that never leaves the sky this might be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-could-be-the-leaf-that-never-falls-from-the-tree-you-could-be-the/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Patrick: Is she worth the trouble? Cameron: I thought she was- Patrick: Either she is, or she isn't. So give it a shot, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/patrick-is-she-worth-the-trouble-cameron-i-thought-she-was-patrick/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“We saw our friends die. But we also see our friends live. So many of them live, and we often toast their long and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/we-saw-our-friends-die-but-we-also-see-our-friends-live-so-many-of/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [maybe tonight you're scared of falling, and maybe there's somebody here or somewhere else you're thinking about, worrying over, fretting over, trying to figure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/maybe-tonight-you-re-scared-of-falling-and-maybe-there-s-somebody/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“You never told me what you saw in him, not convincingly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-never-told-me-what-you-saw-in-him-not-convincingly/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“i nod to the other will grayson, up onstage. he nods to me. we have something between us, him and me. but the truth?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-nod-to-the-other-will-grayson-up-onstage-he-nods-to-me-we-have/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [The terrorists-those nineteen people, with hundreds or maybe thousands behind them-did the worst thing you can possibly imagine. But tens of millions people did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-terrorists-those-nineteen-people-with-hundreds-or-maybe-thousands/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [But I still has enough longing for that concept that I didn't want to dispel it completely. Meaning: I didn't want to tell Lily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/but-i-still-has-enough-longing-for-that-concept-that-i-didn-t-want-to/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“When you break someone's heart, you also break yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/when-you-break-someone-s-heart-you-also-break-yours/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Because toward the end all the words started leaving. Except for the ones that had to lock up at the end of the night.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/because-toward-the-end-all-the-words-started-leaving-except-for-the/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“ misgivings , n . Last night, I got up the courage to ask you if you regretted us. "There are things I miss,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/misgivings-n-last-night-i-got-up-the-courage-to-ask-you-if-you/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Saving others is always more important than saving yourself. It has to be, or none of us would do any good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/saving-others-is-always-more-important-than-saving-yourself-it-has-to/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) [Explore all 1,648 David Levithan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) ## More Goals quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Before I debuted, it was my goal to make my debut, and afterwards, I aimed at winning champion titles on television music shows, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyuna/before-i-debuted-it-was-my-goal-to-make-my-debut-and-afterwards-i/) [Hyuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyuna/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [Leo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Eden. Every year, you look at their numbers - score goals, assists, minutes - to see they play very well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro/leo-cristiano-ronaldo-neymar-eden-every-year-you-look-at-their/) [Pedro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro/) > [“So Jace is my actual family," Kit said. "But I can't go live with him, because him and his hot girlfriend are going off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/so-jace-is-my-actual-family-kit-said-but-i-can-t-go-live-with-him/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [The goal of spiritual practice is full recovery, and the only thing you need to recover from is a fractured sense of self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-goal-of-spiritual-practice-is-full-recovery-and-the-only-thing/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Every drop of rain hits its appointed target.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-newton/every-drop-of-rain-hits-its-appointed-target/) [John Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-newton/) > [“Achieving mental harmony is one of the greatest goals and experiences in life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kambiz-mostofizadeh/achieving-mental-harmony-is-one-of-the-greatest-goals-and-experiences/) [Kambiz Mostofizadeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kambiz-mostofizadeh/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Too many times we flitter our energy into too many goals and in the process don't achieve much. Focus is very important in life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaishali-kasture/too-many-times-we-flitter-our-energy-into-too-many-goals-and-in-the/) [Vaishali Kasture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaishali-kasture/) > [Plainly, the environment must be a living one, directed by a higher intelligence, arranged by an adult who is prepared for his mission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/plainly-the-environment-must-be-a-living-one-directed-by-a-higher/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [According to the best research, less than 3% of Americans have written goals, and less than 1% review and rewrite their goals on a daily basis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/according-to-the-best-research-less-than-3-of-americans-have-written/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [When you have accomplished your goal simply walk away. This is the path way to Heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/when-you-have-accomplished-your-goal-simply-walk-away-this-is-the/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [“What shapes us is not always our achievements but our omissions. Not lies; simply the truths we don’t tell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-tudor/what-shapes-us-is-not-always-our-achievements-but-our-omissions-not/) [C.J. Tudor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-tudor/) [Browse all 21,276 Goals quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The problem, says my sister, Kelly, is not that I can't get over Naomi - it's that I refuse to… Loving Naomi and waiting for her to come back to me - it's not a stalker thing, but more like a personal mission. 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