---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was strange to have those papers…"
description: "\"“It was strange to have those papers signed. Like any big project or crisis that takes every waking and non-waking moment in your life, it was odd to h..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/422/deb-caletti-697_commitment_it-was-strange-to-have-those-papers-sign_1125817.png"
---

#  It was strange to have those papers signed. Like any big…

![“It was strange to have those papers signed. Like any big project or crisis that takes every waking and non-waking moment in your life, it was odd to have it concluded. A move, a college degree, a wedding--something long-strived-for is completed, whatever the outcome, and there is a huge space…” quote by Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/422/deb-caletti-697_commitment_it-was-strange-to-have-those-papers-sign_1125817.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/422/deb-caletti-697_commitment_it-was-strange-to-have-those-papers-sign_1125817.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/422/deb-caletti-697_commitment_it-was-strange-to-have-those-papers-sign_1125817.png)

> ““It was strange to have those papers signed. Like any big project or crisis that takes every waking and non-waking moment in your life, it was odd to have it concluded. A move, a college degree, a wedding--something long-strived-for is completed, whatever the outcome, and there is a huge space where it all once was. All that open time now, and a continuing nagging sense that there's something you need to be doing.””

[Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Finishing a major life milestone creates an unexpected emptiness and a lingering feeling that you must find a new purpose.

**In simple terms:** Big achievements can leave a void and a need for new direction.

Key Takeaway

Seek new goals after major completions.

Themes

transition purpose identity achievement void

Mood

reflective hopeful uncertain

Type

personal development motivational philosophical

When to use this quote

- graduation
- career change
- marriage
- retirement
- post‑project pause

Key Concepts

existential reflection life stages goal setting

Questions to Reflect On

- What will you pursue after your next big achievement?
- How can you prepare for the emotional gap after a milestone?

A Different Perspective

The sense of emptiness may be temporary and can be mitigated by planning next steps beforehand.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Commitment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commitment/) [Divorce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divorce/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Long term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-term/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Nothingness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nothingness/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [The first time Kyuss was about to get signed, they're like, 'We'd like to sign you!' and we just said, 'No! Forget it!' because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-homme/the-first-time-kyuss-was-about-to-get-signed-they-re-like-we-d-like/)

[Josh Homme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-homme/)

> [Even divorce, she thought, cannot erase all the bonds forged by years of marriage. Long after the papers are signed, decrees notarized, the ties…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-gerritsen/even-divorce-she-thought-cannot-erase-all-the-bonds-forged-by-years/)

[Tess Gerritsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-gerritsen/)

> [“The papers are signed. The papers are sealed. The adoption is completed. You are the adopted sons and daughters of the Most High God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maisie-a-smikle/the-papers-are-signed-the-papers-are-sealed-the-adoption-is-completed/)

[Maisie A. Smikle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maisie-a-smikle/)

> [“Everything is mostly nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-demarest/everything-is-mostly-nothing/)

Lynn Demarest

> [When death claim me, no doubt I would walk along by that faint light in the brief instant before being flung once again into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-death-claim-me-no-doubt-i-would-walk-along-by-that-faint-light/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [In order that love be fully satisfied, It is necessary that It lower Itself and that It lower Itself to nothingness and transform this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-order-that-love-be-fully-satisfied-it-is-necessary-that-it-lower/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [My loneliness...still comes over me sometimes...It's a liminal, lost sensation of having wandered wide, endless boulevards, among rows of orange trees, winter butterflies, seasons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-roth/my-loneliness-still-comes-over-me-sometimes-it-s-a-liminal-lost/)

[Marco Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-roth/)

> [“ Programs has a temporary results leading to nothingness, and the Gospel the brings the result of Eternal life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommie-scott/programs-has-a-temporary-results-leading-to-nothingness-and-the/)

Tommie Scott

> [“I was introduced to the void by the rebuffed nothingness. Reddedilmiş hiçlik tarafından boşlukla tanıştırıldım.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yves-klein/i-was-introduced-to-the-void-by-the-rebuffed-nothingness-reddedilmi/)

[Yves Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yves-klein/)

> [Bullies enjoy dark happiness; these are the blank parts that eventually fill their minds with nothingness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-shanks/bullies-enjoy-dark-happiness-these-are-the-blank-parts-that/)

Emily Shanks

> [This isn't a picture filled with wonder and a sense of fun; it's so jaded and crass that I almost wonder if it's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-zacharek/this-isn-t-a-picture-filled-with-wonder-and-a-sense-of-fun-it-s-so/)

[Stephanie Zacharek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-zacharek/)

> [“I've decided that has been the great achievement of our age: to so thoroughly flood the planet with megabits that every image and fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/i-ve-decided-that-has-been-the-great-achievement-of-our-age-to-so/)

[Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/)

> [ \[The Community's\] crosses and trials give me confidence. But I derive my hope above all, and most especially, from our utter incapacity, for it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-guerin/the-community-s-crosses-and-trials-give-me-confidence-but-i-derive-my/)

[Theodore Guerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-guerin/)

> [“This book is written in a barren period of loss with an attempt to move forward towards substance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phindiwe-nkosi/this-book-is-written-in-a-barren-period-of-loss-with-an-attempt-to/)

[Phindiwe Nkosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phindiwe-nkosi/)

> [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/)

## More by Deb Caletti

> [“More, much more, will happen after this. Things involving maps and books and true love and tragedy, tragedy like you wouldn't believe. But fine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/more-much-more-will-happen-after-this-things-involving-maps-and-books/)

[Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/)

> [“Hannah and Kayla are talking without saying anything. Their conversation goes like this: Hannah: Uh-huh. Kayla: It was like, ugh! Hannah: I know. Kayla:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/hannah-and-kayla-are-talking-without-saying-anything-their/)

[Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/)

> [Another person is, at the heart of it, unknowable. And if you cannot know a person enough to always guess what they’re capable of,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/another-person-is-at-the-heart-of-it-unknowable-and-if-you-cannot/)

[Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/)

> [That's what people do who love you. They put their arms around you and love you when you're not so lovable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/that-s-what-people-do-who-love-you-they-put-their-arms-around-you-and/)

[Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/)

> [If fate is a shape-shifter, then loves is too. It can be, anyway, in its most dangerous form. It´s your best day and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/if-fate-is-a-shape-shifter-then-loves-is-too-it-can-be-anyway-in-its/)

[Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/)

> [If you don't participate, you're just taking up oxygen. (Bunny) Life is a banquet. Approach it with hunger. (Chuck)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/if-you-don-t-participate-you-re-just-taking-up-oxygen-bunny-life-is-a/)

[Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/)

> [“You wanted more from people sometimes. And sometimes,you wanted more from yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/you-wanted-more-from-people-sometimes-and-sometimes-you-wanted-more/)

[Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/)

> [Because that’s how it works after something terrible has happened. You know this is true if something terrible has ever happened to you. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/because-that-s-how-it-works-after-something-terrible-has-happened-you/)

[Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/)

> [“Good guy. There was efficiency to male language. Those two words were what guys said about other guys that they really respected. Guys they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/good-guy-there-was-efficiency-to-male-language-those-two-words-were/)

[Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/)

> [“In a world of insanity, nothing is sacred. It's an insane world, nothing is sacred.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/in-a-world-of-insanity-nothing-is-sacred-it-s-an-insane-world-nothing/)

[Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/)

> [“And because he was nice in the beginning did not mean he was a good man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/and-because-he-was-nice-in-the-beginning-did-not-mean-he-was-a-good/)

[Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/)

> [“I like those very realistic paintings that look like photographs, or novels that are so much like actual life that you feel understood.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/i-like-those-very-realistic-paintings-that-look-like-photographs-or/)

[Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/)

> [This is what happens when nice people are pushed too far. We give too many chances, and so when we've finally had enough, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/this-is-what-happens-when-nice-people-are-pushed-too-far-we-give-too/)

[Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/)

> [“I confess I had a Child of Divorce Reunion Fantasy Number One Thousand, where I for a moment imagined my father finding out that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/i-confess-i-had-a-child-of-divorce-reunion-fantasy-number-one/)

[Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/)

> [so what brings you to the doctor today?" "hmm, im afraid i have the chronic desire to save people" "i know about that. i've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/so-what-brings-you-to-the-doctor-today-hmm-im-afraid-i-have-the/)

[Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/)

[Explore all 404 Deb Caletti quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/)

## More Commitment quotes

> [Deepen your existing spiritual commitment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-buettner/deepen-your-existing-spiritual-commitment/)

[Dan Buettner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-buettner/)

> [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/)

[Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/)

> [Certainly these are not easy times. But history does not contain very many easy times. Years from now, we will look back at this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingraham/certainly-these-are-not-easy-times-but-history-does-not-contain-very/)

[Laura Ingraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingraham/)

> [Trust is about keeping commitments, but in many instances, circumstances change and organizations therefore shed commitments, things such as retiree medical benefits, pension obligations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-pfeffer/trust-is-about-keeping-commitments-but-in-many-instances/)

[Jeffrey Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-pfeffer/)

> [“You make me believe in happiness... if I had my way, if anything were up to me, I’d never be without you. You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-kirchoff/you-make-me-believe-in-happiness-if-i-had-my-way-if-anything-were-up/)

[Courtney Kirchoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-kirchoff/)

> [Golf is such a big commitment, and so is acting. Sometimes you have to give up something to do something else, although, when I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-newton/golf-is-such-a-big-commitment-and-so-is-acting-sometimes-you-have-to/)

[Kathryn Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-newton/)

> [All of the barriers to innovation in the energy sector are arguments for a big commitment to public investment. Only the public sector can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nordhaus/all-of-the-barriers-to-innovation-in-the-energy-sector-are-arguments/)

[Ted Nordhaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nordhaus/)

> [When you make a commitment to a relationship, you invest your attention and energy in it more profoundly because you now experience ownership of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-de-angelis/when-you-make-a-commitment-to-a-relationship-you-invest-your/)

[Barbara De Angelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-de-angelis/)

> [ “For \[erotically intelligent couples\], love is a vessel that contains both security and adventure, and commitment offers one of the great luxuries of life:… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-perel/for-erotically-intelligent-couples-love-is-a-vessel-that-contains/)

[Esther Perel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-perel/)

> [Having a point to start is important. You know that when you decide to write something it's like a commitment. It's like falling in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/having-a-point-to-start-is-important-you-know-that-when-you-decide-to/)

[Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/)

> [A commitment to lifelong learning is a natural expression of the practice of living consciously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/a-commitment-to-lifelong-learning-is-a-natural-expression-of-the/)

[Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/)

> [A lasting relationship consists of the 3 C's: Commitment. Communication. Compromise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/a-lasting-relationship-consists-of-the-3-c-s-commitment-communication/)

[Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/)

> [I've developed a huge regard for Toyota for its environmental awareness, for its immense commitment to research and development in this field, and for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/i-ve-developed-a-huge-regard-for-toyota-for-its-environmental/)

[Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/)

> [And the commitment that I've been giving to the Australian people is that there'll be no surprises and no excuses under a Coalition government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/and-the-commitment-that-i-ve-been-giving-to-the-australian-people-is/)

[Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/)

> [As a result of reading science fiction when I was eight, I grew up with an interest in music, architecture, city planning, transportation, politics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/as-a-result-of-reading-science-fiction-when-i-was-eight-i-grew-up/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

[Browse all 4,004 Commitment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commitment/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“It was strange to have those papers signed. Like any big project or crisis that takes every waking and non-waking moment in your life, it was odd to have it concluded. A move, a college degree, a wedding--something long-strived-for is completed, whatever the outcome, and there is a huge space where it all once was. All that open time now, and a continuing nagging sense that there's something you need to be doing.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Deb Caletti"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/it-was-strange-to-have-those-papers-signed-like-any-big-project-or/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Commitment"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/it-was-strange-to-have-those-papers-signed-like-any-big-project-or/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/422/deb-caletti-697_commitment_it-was-strange-to-have-those-papers-sign_1125817.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/422/deb-caletti-697_commitment_it-was-strange-to-have-those-papers-sign_1125817.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/422/deb-caletti-697_commitment_it-was-strange-to-have-those-papers-sign_1125817.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It was strange to have those papers signed. Like any big project or crisis that takes every waking and…” — Deb Caletti",
                "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": "Deb Caletti",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“It was strange to have those...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/it-was-strange-to-have-those-papers-signed-like-any-big-project-or/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/it-was-strange-to-have-those-papers-signed-like-any-big-project-or/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
