--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Growing up, I thought my grandfather was…" description: "\"Growing up, I thought my grandfather was dead. Later, I learned he was alive, but my family pretended he didn't exist because of the terrible way he'd ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/deborah-pryce-77403_alive_growing-up-i-thought-my-grandfather-was_2139308.png" --- # Growing up, I thought my grandfather was dead. Later, I… ![“Growing up, I thought my grandfather was dead. Later, I learned he was alive, but my family pretended he didn't exist because of the terrible way he'd abused my grandmother and my mother. He did things like shave my grandmother's head and lock her in a closet. With my mother's help, my grandmother…” quote by Deborah Pryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/deborah-pryce-77403_alive_growing-up-i-thought-my-grandfather-was_2139308.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/deborah-pryce-77403_alive_growing-up-i-thought-my-grandfather-was_2139308.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/deborah-pryce-77403_alive_growing-up-i-thought-my-grandfather-was_2139308.png) > “Growing up, I thought my grandfather was dead. Later, I learned he was alive, but my family pretended he didn't exist because of the terrible way he'd abused my grandmother and my mother. He did things like shave my grandmother's head and lock her in a closet. With my mother's help, my grandmother finally left him.” [Deborah Pryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-pryce/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A family concealed a abusive patriarch, causing trauma and eventual escape. **In simple terms:** Family hid abuse, leading to pain and eventual freedom. Key Takeaway Recognize and confront hidden abuse. Themes family abuse trauma resilience Mood sad reflective Type personal cautionary When to use this quote - family gatherings - therapy sessions - support groups - legal proceedings Key Concepts psychology power dynamics survival Questions to Reflect On - How does secrecy affect victims? - What steps can break cycles of abuse? A Different Perspective Denial and silence can prolong suffering. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abused Grandmother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abused-grandmother-4447448/) [Alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) [Closets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/closets/) [Domestic violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/domestic-violence/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Grandfather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grandfather/) [Grandfather Dead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grandfather-dead-938257/) [Grandmother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grandmother/) [Growing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing/) [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [Helping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helping/) [Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left/) [Locks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/locks/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [My family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-family/) [My grandfather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-grandfather/) [My grandmother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-grandmother/) [Terrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrible/) [Thought Grandfather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-grandfather-686598/) [Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [After my grandfather died I went down to the basement of my family house where my family kept books, anthologies and things and there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hirsch/after-my-grandfather-died-i-went-down-to-the-basement-of-my-family/) [Edward Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hirsch/) > [Grandfather's been dead all these years, but if you lifted my skull, by God, in the convolutions of my brain you'd find the big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/grandfather-s-been-dead-all-these-years-but-if-you-lifted-my-skull-by/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“...You see?" 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I have fond memories of her visits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbi-glines/blaire-this-was-my-grandmother-s-my-father-s-mother-she-came-to-visit/) [Abbi Glines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbi-glines/) > [My grandfather was from outside of Moscow, and my grandmother, although some of her family were French, was from Odessa. They met as immigrants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-denisof/my-grandfather-was-from-outside-of-moscow-and-my-grandmother-although/) [Alexis Denisof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-denisof/) > [My grandfather was a teacher, my grandmother on my mom's side, four of my aunts, my sister-in-law, my best friend. So I've always, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-rhee/my-grandfather-was-a-teacher-my-grandmother-on-my-mom-s-side-four-of/) [Michelle Rhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-rhee/) > [My grandfather, Harry Ferguson, was a butcher in Hill of Beath; so even though my grandparents lived in some poverty, we got loads of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-cranham/my-grandfather-harry-ferguson-was-a-butcher-in-hill-of-beath-so-even/) [Kenneth Cranham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-cranham/) > [I was always a person on my mother's hip in the kitchen. My mom really wanted her kids at her side as much as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-ray/i-was-always-a-person-on-my-mother-s-hip-in-the-kitchen-my-mom-really/) [Rachael Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-ray/) > [Every day before supper and before we went to services on Sundays. 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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. 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