--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In trying to be strong for them, I had…" description: "\"“In trying to be strong for them, I had cheated them out of opportunities to strengthen me. Guilt overwhelmed me, because I could-at last-see their gif..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2eb/don-piper-28039_regret_in-trying-to-be-strong-for-them-i-had-ch_2616317.jpg" --- # In trying to be strong for them, I had cheated them out of… ![“In trying to be strong for them, I had cheated them out of opportunities to strengthen me. Guilt overwhelmed me, because I could-at last-see their gifts to me. The shame flowed all over me, and I began to cry. This is their ministry, I thought, and I've been spoiling it. I felt such intense shame…” quote by Don Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2eb/don-piper-28039_regret_in-trying-to-be-strong-for-them-i-had-ch_2616317.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2eb/don-piper-28039_regret_in-trying-to-be-strong-for-them-i-had-ch_2616317.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2eb/don-piper-28039_regret_in-trying-to-be-strong-for-them-i-had-ch_2616317.jpg) > ““In trying to be strong for them, I had cheated them out of opportunities to strengthen me. Guilt overwhelmed me, because I could-at last-see their gifts to me. The shame flowed all over me, and I began to cry. This is their ministry, I thought, and I've been spoiling it. I felt such intense shame over not letting them help. When I finally did open up, I witnessed a drastic”” [Don Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-piper/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Over‑protectiveness can deprive others of mutual growth, leading to guilt and shame. **In simple terms:** Being too strong can harm both parties. Key Takeaway Balance support with allowing independence. Themes family guilt growth Mood empathetic thoughtful Type spiritual psychological When to use this quote - parenting - mentorship - friendships Key Concepts psychology relationships Questions to Reflect On - How do you know when to step back? - What signs indicate over‑protectiveness? A Different Perspective Protective instincts may be necessary at times. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Began Ministry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/began-ministry-2070775/) [Guilt Overwhelmed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt-overwhelmed-2070773/) [Intense Shame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intense-shame-2070776/) [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) [Shame Flowed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shame-flowed-2070774/) [Strengthen Guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strengthen-guilt-2070772/) [Trying To Be Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying-to-be-strong/) ## Related quotes > [“Just then I realized how badly I had missed the whole idea. I had failed them and myself. In trying to be strong for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-piper/just-then-i-realized-how-badly-i-had-missed-the-whole-idea-i-had/) [Don Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-piper/) > [What meditation does mean is a way for us to unlock and open the door to the kingdom of heaven. Jesus began his ministry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-t-kelsey/what-meditation-does-mean-is-a-way-for-us-to-unlock-and-open-the-door/) [Morton T. Kelsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-t-kelsey/) > [If you hear somebody say something absolutely horrendous about their own life, in quite a flippant, offbeat kind of way, when you meet people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-waller-bridge/if-you-hear-somebody-say-something-absolutely-horrendous-about-their/) [Phoebe Waller-Bridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-waller-bridge/) > [When you smile I smile when your sad I sad, everythings going wrong when things wrong but as long as you and me are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-smile-i-smile-when-your-sad-i-sad-everythings-going-wrong/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I’m sorry,” I say and the words start spilling out. “I’m sorry. I should have just talked to you and then you wouldn’t have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-cole/i-m-sorry-i-say-and-the-words-start-spilling-out-i-m-sorry-i-should/) [Courtney Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-cole/) > [I've been trying to be strong but now I'm sorry I can't stand it any more :'(](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ve-been-trying-to-be-strong-but-now-i-m-sorry-i-can-t-stand-it-any/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Why do people cut themselves. It's pointless because your hurting yourself. Rather than trying to be strong, just because someone called you a name…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-do-people-cut-themselves-it-s-pointless-because-your-hurting/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You see me laughing,kidding and not talking seriously.But behind those laughter is a heart that somewhat says,I have many problems,but I'm trying to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vickie/you-see-me-laughing-kidding-and-not-talking-seriously-but-behind/) [Vickie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vickie/) > [I'm constantly trying to be strong, to be calm when things get tough. The biggest part of that is keeping things in perspective, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-konta/i-m-constantly-trying-to-be-strong-to-be-calm-when-things-get-tough/) [Johanna Konta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-konta/) > [“An hour later we were pulling into the hospital parking lot. Sparkly and shiny from my hair and makeup job, I had to stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/an-hour-later-we-were-pulling-into-the-hospital-parking-lot-sparkly-2/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [We are always just trying to be strong and yet in touch with our bodies and the only way you can really do that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-o-connor/we-are-always-just-trying-to-be-strong-and-yet-in-touch-with-our/) [Renee O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-o-connor/) > [It's been so long, that I haven't seen your face. I'm trying to be strong, but the strength I have is washing away..!!! <3(:](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asking-alexandria/it-s-been-so-long-that-i-haven-t-seen-your-face-i-m-trying-to-be/) [Asking Alexandria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asking-alexandria/) > [“I would have, Damien! I would have! I would have rather died a thousand painful, torturous deaths than watch you die one! I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-hammond/i-would-have-damien-i-would-have-i-would-have-rather-died-a-thousand/) [Lauren Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-hammond/) > [Guys are going to be physical, especially with me being the young guy. That tends to happen a lot. It's just guys trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-tatum/guys-are-going-to-be-physical-especially-with-me-being-the-young-guy/) [Jayson Tatum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-tatum/) > [I've been fortunate that I have good athletic ability, just in general. Quick, strong, able to bounce off players, trying to be strong in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-pulisic/i-ve-been-fortunate-that-i-have-good-athletic-ability-just-in-general/) [Christian Pulisic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-pulisic/) ## More by Don Piper > [“I've learned that if I stay busy, especially by helping others, I don't think about my pain. In an odd way, my pain is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-piper/i-ve-learned-that-if-i-stay-busy-especially-by-helping-others-i-don-t/) [Don Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-piper/) > [“One of my favorite stories is about a little girl who left her house and her mother didn’t know where she had gone. Once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-piper/one-of-my-favorite-stories-is-about-a-little-girl-who-left-her-house/) [Don Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-piper/) > [“When you start to "fall down the stairs" there is that moment when you realize that you have no control over what is going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-piper/when-you-start-to-fall-down-the-stairs-there-is-that-moment-when-you/) [Don Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-piper/) > [“Just then I realized how badly I had missed the whole idea. I had failed them and myself. In trying to be strong for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-piper/just-then-i-realized-how-badly-i-had-missed-the-whole-idea-i-had/) [Don Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-piper/) > [“Just as it was necessary to reinflate my lungs to overcome pneumonia, I needed the breath of God to help me overcome the depression…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-piper/just-as-it-was-necessary-to-reinflate-my-lungs-to-overcome-pneumonia/) [Don Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-piper/) > [“One question keeps troubling me: Why?. . . The short answer: I don't know. and yet that single word, why, remains the consummate human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-piper/one-question-keeps-troubling-me-why-the-short-answer-i-don-t-know-and/) [Don Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-piper/) > [“Satan is a liar. He wants to steal our joy and replace it with hopelessness. When we're up against a struggle and we think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-piper/satan-is-a-liar-he-wants-to-steal-our-joy-and-replace-it-with/) [Don Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-piper/) > [“God had chosen to keep me alive. Even in my worst moments of depression and self-pity, I never forgot that. Christy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-piper/god-had-chosen-to-keep-me-alive-even-in-my-worst-moments-of/) [Don Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-piper/) > [No one is in a more strategic position than you are to influence the people you are with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-piper/no-one-is-in-a-more-strategic-position-than-you-are-to-influence-the/) [Don Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-piper/) > [Although no one said so, intuitively I knew they were my celestial welcoming committee. It was as if they had all gathered just outside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-piper/although-no-one-said-so-intuitively-i-knew-they-were-my-celestial/) [Don Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-piper/) > [“Yet many times I felt terribly alone and was convinced that no one else understood. And I still think that's true. When our pain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-piper/yet-many-times-i-felt-terribly-alone-and-was-convinced-that-no-one/) [Don Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-piper/) > [“sacrificial, you have always been faithful. And”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-piper/sacrificial-you-have-always-been-faithful-and/) [Don Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-piper/) > [“I woke up to singing and found myself singing too”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-piper/i-woke-up-to-singing-and-found-myself-singing-too/) [Don Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-piper/) > [“That's perhaps the biggest miracle: People prayed and God honored their prayers. As”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-piper/that-s-perhaps-the-biggest-miracle-people-prayed-and-god-honored/) [Don Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-piper/) > [“couldn't say it, but I believed then-and still do-that I survived only because a number of people wanted me to. They were relentless, passionate,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-piper/couldn-t-say-it-but-i-believed-then-and-still-do-that-i-survived-only/) [Don Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-piper/) [Explore all 20 Don Piper quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-piper/) ## More Regret quotes > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Never fight on the wrong side; you might win but the burden of guilt is more than a loss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilian-salan/never-fight-on-the-wrong-side-you-might-win-but-the-burden-of-guilt/) [Lilian Salan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilian-salan/) > [I don't regret burning bridges. I regret that some people weren't on those bridges when I burned them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-regret-burning-bridges-i-regret-that-some-people-weren-t-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“As parents who make every effort we can to raise our children in loving security, we do not need to feel more guilt than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/as-parents-who-make-every-effort-we-can-to-raise-our-children-in/) [Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [I have no regrets in my life. I think that everything happens to you for a reason. The hard times that you go through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mero/i-have-no-regrets-in-my-life-i-think-that-everything-happens-to-you/) [Rita Mero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mero/) > [When the Lord Jesus Christ became my surety . . . He went to Calvary's cross, and all my guilt was charged against Him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/when-the-lord-jesus-christ-became-my-surety-he-went-to-calvary-s/) [Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) > [“Even in the miserable guilt we feel over our beastlike insensitivity, the glory of God shines. If God were not gloriously desirable, why would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/even-in-the-miserable-guilt-we-feel-over-our-beastlike-insensitivity/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [“For those filled with regret, perhaps the most needful exercise of proactivity is to realize that past mistakes are also out there in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-covey/for-those-filled-with-regret-perhaps-the-most-needful-exercise-of/) [Stephen R. Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-covey/) > [I would rather regret the things that I have done than the things that I have not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-ball/i-would-rather-regret-the-things-that-i-have-done-than-the-things/) [Lucille Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-ball/) > [One of the things I regret about not putting in that book or I think it's there but I didn't really elaborate on it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/one-of-the-things-i-regret-about-not-putting-in-that-book-or-i-think/) [Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/) > [Having no regrets is very unrealistic. Everyone has that awkward or embarrassing moment they wish they could take back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayden-hayes/having-no-regrets-is-very-unrealistic-everyone-has-that-awkward-or/) [Jayden Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayden-hayes/) > [I always had a sort of niggling regret that we didn't come do stuff in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-fielding/i-always-had-a-sort-of-niggling-regret-that-we-didn-t-come-do-stuff/) [Noel Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-fielding/) > [I am not perfect by any means and ill be the first to admit I make plenty of mistakes but I wont make them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-am-not-perfect-by-any-means-and-ill-be-the-first-to-admit-i-make/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“ving self and others is an every second of every day of every week, of every month, of every year gift that should not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjo-jendayi/ving-self-and-others-is-an-every-second-of-every-day-of-every-week-of/) [Sanjo Jendayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjo-jendayi/) [Browse all 9,960 Regret quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In trying to be strong for them, I had cheated them out of opportunities to strengthen me. Guilt overwhelmed me, because I could-at last-see their gifts to me. The shame flowed all over me, and I began to cry. This is their ministry, I thought, and I've been spoiling it. I felt such intense shame over not letting them help. When I finally did open up, I witnessed a drastic”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Don Piper" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-piper/in-trying-to-be-strong-for-them-i-had-cheated-them-out-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Regret" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-piper/in-trying-to-be-strong-for-them-i-had-cheated-them-out-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2eb/don-piper-28039_regret_in-trying-to-be-strong-for-them-i-had-ch_2616317.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2eb/don-piper-28039_regret_in-trying-to-be-strong-for-them-i-had-ch_2616317.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2eb/don-piper-28039_regret_in-trying-to-be-strong-for-them-i-had-ch_2616317.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In trying to be strong for them, I had cheated them out of opportunities to strengthen me. Guilt overwhelmed…” — Don Piper", "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": "Don Piper", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-piper/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“In trying to be strong for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-piper/in-trying-to-be-strong-for-them-i-had-cheated-them-out-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-piper/in-trying-to-be-strong-for-them-i-had-cheated-them-out-of/#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 } } ] } ```