--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She wasn’t crying at all. This was what…" description: "\"“She wasn’t crying at all. This was what scared him the most. Where had she locked up the things he’d seen her feeling that day when she heard? She was..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c20/francesca-lia-block-1363_crying_she-wasn-t-crying-at-all-this-was-what-s_2473126.jpg" --- # She wasn’t crying at all. This was what scared him the… ![“She wasn’t crying at all. This was what scared him the most. Where had she locked up the things he’d seen her feeling that day when she heard? She wasn’t that big a girl to hold all of it—to hold her brother’s life and his death inside of her. To hold all his long-limbed raging tidal motion and…” quote by Francesca Lia Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c20/francesca-lia-block-1363_crying_she-wasn-t-crying-at-all-this-was-what-s_2473126.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c20/francesca-lia-block-1363_crying_she-wasn-t-crying-at-all-this-was-what-s_2473126.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c20/francesca-lia-block-1363_crying_she-wasn-t-crying-at-all-this-was-what-s_2473126.jpg) > ““She wasn’t crying at all. This was what scared him the most. Where had she locked up the things he’d seen her feeling that day when she heard? She wasn’t that big a girl to hold all of it—to hold her brother’s life and his death inside of her. To hold all his long-limbed raging tidal motion and all the loss of that.”” [Francesca Lia Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-lia-block/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A girl suppresses deep grief and trauma, fearing the weight of her brother’s death and her own emotions. **In simple terms:** She hides pain and fear of loss. Key Takeaway Acknowledge and process grief rather than bottling it. Themes grief family emotional suppression identity trauma Mood somber reflective Type literary emotional When to use this quote - family loss - personal counseling - creative writing - support groups Key Concepts psychology memory burden silence Questions to Reflect On - How does suppressing grief affect personal growth? - What steps can help release hidden sorrow? A Different Perspective Denial can intensify suffering and hinder healing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Holding back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holding-back/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Loss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loss/) [Morning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morning/) ## Related quotes > [“Emma Was Crying. And She Never Cries. I Thought She Was Crying Because She Was Scared. I Was Scared Too. But I Was Wrong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiu-shirai/emma-was-crying-and-she-never-cries-i-thought-she-was-crying-because/) Kaiu Shirai > [“Rafferty gripped his brother's shoulder and pushed him in the direction of his wife. She was rolling on the fresh-turned earth of Charlie's grave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-williamson/rafferty-gripped-his-brother-s-shoulder-and-pushed-him-in-the/) [Penelope Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-williamson/) > [“As I look through my box of photos, my eyes well up with tears as I hold in front of me, the one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terra-lorin/as-i-look-through-my-box-of-photos-my-eyes-well-up-with-tears-as-i/) Terra Lorin > [Life and death lived inside each other. That's what occured to me. Death was inside all of us, waiting for warmer nights, a compromised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-heller/life-and-death-lived-inside-each-other-that-s-what-occured-to-me/) [Peter Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-heller/) > [I've got death inside me. It's just a question of whether or not I can outlive it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/i-ve-got-death-inside-me-it-s-just-a-question-of-whether-or-not-i-can/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [“There were usually not nearly as many sick people inside the hospital as Yossarian saw outside the hospital, and there were generally fewer people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/there-were-usually-not-nearly-as-many-sick-people-inside-the-hospital/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [“The death of loved ones often awakens the death inside of us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-chami-kassis/the-death-of-loved-ones-often-awakens-the-death-inside-of-us/) [Sandra Chami Kassis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-chami-kassis/) > [“Holding him like that moved me in a way I cannot describe, except to say I felt the seeds of death inside his shrivelling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/holding-him-like-that-moved-me-in-a-way-i-cannot-describe-except-to/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [Those who have known death from inside lose all fear of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/those-who-have-known-death-from-inside-lose-all-fear-of-death/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“But he wasn't crying. Curiously, he felt too depressed to cry. Too hurt. It felt as if she'd taken the part of him that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/but-he-wasn-t-crying-curiously-he-felt-too-depressed-to-cry-too-hurt/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I am crying, he thought, opening his eyes to stare through the soapy, stinging water. I feel like crying, so I must be crying,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-am-crying-he-thought-opening-his-eyes-to-stare-through-the-soapy/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“For a while she cried silently until she tired herself out and the overwhelming feeling of sleepiness overcame her. The room around her was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-medina/for-a-while-she-cried-silently-until-she-tired-herself-out-and-the/) [Jason Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-medina/) > [“And when he died, I suddenly realized I wasn't crying for him at all, but for all the things he did. I was crying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/and-when-he-died-i-suddenly-realized-i-wasn-t-crying-for-him-at-all/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [That was his mother. When she wasn't crying over the breakfast cereal, she was laughing about killing herself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/that-was-his-mother-when-she-wasn-t-crying-over-the-breakfast-cereal/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [“... he wasn't crying for the woman who had died. He was crying for the woman she had been.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-sala/he-wasn-t-crying-for-the-woman-who-had-died-he-was-crying-for-the/) [Sharon Sala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-sala/) ## More by Francesca Lia Block > [“Even in darkness your lips taste of sunshine”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-lia-block/even-in-darkness-your-lips-taste-of-sunshine/) [Francesca Lia Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-lia-block/) > [Ugster vinyl pumps, Partridge Family records, plastic daisy jewelry, old postcards. . . . It's a magpie Christmas market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-lia-block/ugster-vinyl-pumps-partridge-family-records-plastic-daisy-jewelry-old/) [Francesca Lia Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-lia-block/) > [Sometimes I wanted to peel away all of my skin and find a different me underneath.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-lia-block/sometimes-i-wanted-to-peel-away-all-of-my-skin-and-find-a-different/) [Francesca Lia Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-lia-block/) > [The circus tent was flowing pale in the rain like a fleshy flower lit from within. It seemed to bloom in the downpour. Drops…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-lia-block/the-circus-tent-was-flowing-pale-in-the-rain-like-a-fleshy-flower-lit/) [Francesca Lia Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-lia-block/) > [I think depression creates in me an urgent need to write, but I also believe that daily stress, and even the positive stress of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-lia-block/i-think-depression-creates-in-me-an-urgent-need-to-write-but-i-also/) [Francesca Lia Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-lia-block/) > [“It’s hard to remember what you fall in love with. Usually it is an expression in the eyes, an exchange, or a gesture or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-lia-block/it-s-hard-to-remember-what-you-fall-in-love-with-usually-it-is-an/) [Francesca Lia Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-lia-block/) > [“Weetzie and My Secret Agent Lover Man and Dirk and Duck and Cherokee and Witch Baby and Slinkster Dog and Go-Go Girl and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-lia-block/weetzie-and-my-secret-agent-lover-man-and-dirk-and-duck-and-cherokee/) [Francesca Lia Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-lia-block/) > [“When you look at pain as material it makes all the difference in the world. I thought, the pain that is too big to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-lia-block/when-you-look-at-pain-as-material-it-makes-all-the-difference-in-the/) [Francesca Lia Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-lia-block/) > [If Death is your father, you don't ever have to worry about what part of his body the disease will strike next. If Death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-lia-block/if-death-is-your-father-you-don-t-ever-have-to-worry-about-what-part/) [Francesca Lia Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-lia-block/) > [“My mind is like the valley—this vast barren waste. Car lots. Malls. Tract homes. I know there are other worlds beyond it—of canyons full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-lia-block/my-mind-is-like-the-valley-this-vast-barren-waste-car-lots-malls/) [Francesca Lia Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-lia-block/) > [“And then I cried a flood of tears as if I really were a mermaid who had absorbed too much sea into herself. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-lia-block/and-then-i-cried-a-flood-of-tears-as-if-i-really-were-a-mermaid-who/) [Francesca Lia Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-lia-block/) > [“Sylvie wishes the anti-depressants had been around when she was in her early twenties, not only to rescue her from the dark tunnels that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-lia-block/sylvie-wishes-the-anti-depressants-had-been-around-when-she-was-in/) [Francesca Lia Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-lia-block/) > [“The next night I went back to the sea dressed in 1950s silk travel scarves – Paris with the Eiffel tower and ladies in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-lia-block/the-next-night-i-went-back-to-the-sea-dressed-in-1950s-silk-travel/) [Francesca Lia Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-lia-block/) > [“for frail but surprisingly strong fairies who had lost their way above ground for burned mermaids and sick vampire girls for wild wolfish women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-lia-block/for-frail-but-surprisingly-strong-fairies-who-had-lost-their-way/) [Francesca Lia Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-lia-block/) > [What shall we do, all of us? All of us oassionate girls who fear crushing the boys we love with our mouths like caverns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-lia-block/what-shall-we-do-all-of-us-all-of-us-oassionate-girls-who-fear/) [Francesca Lia Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-lia-block/) [Explore all 250 Francesca Lia Block quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-lia-block/) ## More Crying quotes > [U dount need eny cuz when u get in a relaishondhip u love it forever not for crying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/no-athors-name-i-made-it/u-dount-need-eny-cuz-when-u-get-in-a-relaishondhip-u-love-it-forever/) No Athors Name I Made It > [Skies are crying, I am watching Catching tear drops in my hands Only silence as it's ending Like we never had a chance Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/skies-are-crying-i-am-watching-catching-tear-drops-in-my-hands-only/) Unkown > [ That's probably why my face was looking so crazy when I was crying \[in "Hardball"\] because it was some real. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-b-jordan/that-s-probably-why-my-face-was-looking-so-crazy-when-i-was-crying-in/) [Michael B. Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-b-jordan/) > [And then theres always the crying and the weeping that we hear-children, women, even men. And these images and these sounds are always with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/and-then-theres-always-the-crying-and-the-weeping-that-we-hear/) [Christiane Amanpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-amanpour/) > [Maybe that was why she couldn't cry, she realized, staring dry-eyed at the ceiling. Because what was the point in crying when there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/maybe-that-was-why-she-couldn-t-cry-she-realized-staring-dry-eyed-at/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying or getting overly angry or to maintain control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/sometimes-you-have-to-laugh-to-keep-from-crying-or-getting-overly/) [Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/) > [“I swallow hard and yank out my earbuds. I push the tears back down. I'm sick of crying every time I see or hear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-woodfolk/i-swallow-hard-and-yank-out-my-earbuds-i-push-the-tears-back-down-i-m/) Ashley Woodfolk > [“I’m desperate to prevent her tears, but not because I’m noble or anything. I’m kind of a contagion cryer. You know how when one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-yoon/i-m-desperate-to-prevent-her-tears-but-not-because-i-m-noble-or/) [Nicola Yoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-yoon/) > [When you are not there in my life its like: Shoes without shoe laces A letter without a stamp A flower with no roots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-are-not-there-in-my-life-its-like-shoes-without-shoe-laces-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you watch movies and you see people cry from happiness, I've never cried from happiness before in my life. So when I'm crying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-edwards/when-you-watch-movies-and-you-see-people-cry-from-happiness-i-ve/) [Leon Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-edwards/) > [I love walking in rain coz no one knows that I m crying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idreesbhat/i-love-walking-in-rain-coz-no-one-knows-that-i-m-crying/) Idreesbhat > [You took my happiness with you and left this horrible sadness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-took-my-happiness-with-you-and-left-this-horrible-sadness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Break up was not made for you to cry.. But to take you away from the wrong man who you thought was the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/break-up-was-not-made-for-you-to-cry-but-to-take-you-away-from-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [While the godly father and mother spews poison, the baby crying for help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/while-the-godly-father-and-mother-spews-poison-the-baby-crying-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I lay on my floor crying again¦ shaking. Searching for inner strength and coming up empty. My eyes burned and my mouth was dry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-daniels/i-lay-on-my-floor-crying-again-shaking-searching-for-inner-strength/) Nathan Daniels Browse all 3,126 Crying quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“She wasn’t crying at all. This was what scared him the most. 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