--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The life I touch for good or ill will…" description: "\"The life I touch for good or ill will touch another life, and in turn another, until who knows where the trembling stops or in what far place my touch ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57d/frederick-buechner-883_another-life_the-life-i-touch-for-good-or-ill-will-to_539163.png" --- # The life I touch for good or ill will touch another life… ![“The life I touch for good or ill will touch another life, and in turn another, until who knows where the trembling stops or in what far place my touch will be felt.” quote by Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57d/frederick-buechner-883_another-life_the-life-i-touch-for-good-or-ill-will-to_539163.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57d/frederick-buechner-883_another-life_the-life-i-touch-for-good-or-ill-will-to_539163.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57d/frederick-buechner-883_another-life_the-life-i-touch-for-good-or-ill-will-to_539163.png) > “The life I touch for good or ill will touch another life, and in turn another, until who knows where the trembling stops or in what far place my touch will be felt.” [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Our actions ripple outward, affecting countless lives in unseen ways. **In simple terms:** Our deeds affect many others. Key Takeaway Act with awareness of impact. Themes interconnectedness responsibility legacy Mood thoughtful hopeful Type spiritual philosophical When to use this quote - volunteering - teaching - parenting - policy making Key Concepts ethical philosophy spirituality Questions to Reflect On - What ripple might your actions create? - How do you measure impact? A Different Perspective Predicting the full ripple is impossible. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Another life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/another-life/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Ill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ill/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Touch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-touch/) [Lonely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lonely/) ## Related quotes > [“The life thatI touch for good or ill will touch another life, and that in turn another, until who knows where the trembling stops…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/the-life-thati-touch-for-good-or-ill-will-touch-another-life-and-that/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [Freedom is the basic condition for you to touch life, to touch the blue sky, the trees, the birds, the tea, and the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/freedom-is-the-basic-condition-for-you-to-touch-life-to-touch-the/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [“Life should touch you, even if life smothers you, it's better than remaining untouched by life”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadhguru/life-should-touch-you-even-if-life-smothers-you-it-s-better-than/) [Sadhguru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadhguru/) > [“The life that I touch for good or ill will touch another life, and that in turn another, until who knows where the trembling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/the-life-that-i-touch-for-good-or-ill-will-touch-another-life-and/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [Trouble makes us one with every human being in the world - and unless we touch others, we're out of touch with life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/trouble-makes-us-one-with-every-human-being-in-the-world-and-unless/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To touch is to give life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelangelo/to-touch-is-to-give-life/) [Michelangelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelangelo/) > [“The good writers touch life often.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/the-good-writers-touch-life-often/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“I know how profoundly someone can touch your life and then leave it in a shambles when they’re gone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sawyer-bennett/i-know-how-profoundly-someone-can-touch-your-life-and-then-leave-it/) [Sawyer Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sawyer-bennett/) > [If you have the courage to touch life for the first time, you will never know what hit you. Everything man has thought, felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/u-g-krishnamurti/if-you-have-the-courage-to-touch-life-for-the-first-time-you-will/) [U.G. Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/u-g-krishnamurti/) > [Good writers touch life often.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/good-writers-touch-life-often/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [You know what it's like. Sometimes, you meet a wonderful person, but it's only for a brief instant. Maybe on vacation or on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-keyes/you-know-what-it-s-like-sometimes-you-meet-a-wonderful-person-but-it/) [Marian Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-keyes/) > [To teach is to touch a life forever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mejar/to-teach-is-to-touch-a-life-forever/) Mejar > [While I was in London it was completely upside-down. I got a whole new life and it was a challenge to keep in touch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evanna-lynch/while-i-was-in-london-it-was-completely-upside-down-i-got-a-whole-new/) [Evanna Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evanna-lynch/) > [“There is no doubt that you will touch a life today. It's just the manner in which you choose to do so, and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/there-is-no-doubt-that-you-will-touch-a-life-today-it-s-just-the/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [Long you live and high you'll fly and smiles you'll give and tears you'll cry and all you touch and all you see is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/long-you-live-and-high-you-ll-fly-and-smiles-you-ll-give-and-tears/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Frederick Buechner > [In the entire history of the universe, let alone in your own history, there has never been another day just like today, and there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/in-the-entire-history-of-the-universe-let-alone-in-your-own-history/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [People are disturbed not by things but by the view they take of them. They may forget what you said, but they will never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/people-are-disturbed-not-by-things-but-by-the-view-they-take-of-them/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [It is impossible to conceive how different things would have turned out if that birth had not happened whenever, wherever, however it didfor millions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/it-is-impossible-to-conceive-how-different-things-would-have-turned/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [At least to look back over their own lives, as I have looked back over mine, for certain themes and patterns and signals that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/at-least-to-look-back-over-their-own-lives-as-i-have-looked-back-over/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [Snobs are people who look down on other people, but that does not justify our looking down on them. Who can say what dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/snobs-are-people-who-look-down-on-other-people-but-that-does-not/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [I could, of course, have done no more if no less than affiliated myself in one way or another with a particular church, could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/i-could-of-course-have-done-no-more-if-no-less-than-affiliated-myself/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [Even the saddest things can become, once we have made peace with them, a source of wisdom and strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/even-the-saddest-things-can-become-once-we-have-made-peace-with-them/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [A Christian isn't necessarily any nicer than anybody else, just better informed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/a-christian-isn-t-necessarily-any-nicer-than-anybody-else-just-better/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [“The things that the world fills time with are enough to turn the heart to stone, but the goodness of time itself is as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/the-things-that-the-world-fills-time-with-are-enough-to-turn-the/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [The pride that keeps us from forgiving is the same pride which keeps us from accepting forgiveness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/the-pride-that-keeps-us-from-forgiving-is-the-same-pride-which-keeps/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [“You can kiss your family and friends good-bye and put miles between you, but a the same time you carry them with you in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/you-can-kiss-your-family-and-friends-good-bye-and-put-miles-between/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [If the truth is worth telling, it is worth making a fool of yourself to tell it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/if-the-truth-is-worth-telling-it-is-worth-making-a-fool-of-yourself/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [I suspect that Jesus spoke many of his parables as a kind of sad and holy joke and that that may be part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/i-suspect-that-jesus-spoke-many-of-his-parables-as-a-kind-of-sad-and/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [“How Adewen stuffed her braid in her mouth at that! Or she'd cover her mirth with her hands and shake till you'd think that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/how-adewen-stuffed-her-braid-in-her-mouth-at-that-or-she-d-cover-her/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [Resurrection means that the worst thing is never the last thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/resurrection-means-that-the-worst-thing-is-never-the-last-thing/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) [Explore all 339 Frederick Buechner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) ## More Another life quotes > [“Small memories of another life flutter through my head like moths — all grey images and tearstains”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-kahler/small-memories-of-another-life-flutter-through-my-head-like-moths-all/) A.R. Kahler > [When you chopped logs with the ax and they split open they smelled beautiful, like Christmas. But when you split someone's head open it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-atkinson/when-you-chopped-logs-with-the-ax-and-they-split-open-they-smelled/) [Kate Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-atkinson/) > [“I love the dark hours of my being. My mind deepens into them. There I can find, as in old letters, the days of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/i-love-the-dark-hours-of-my-being-my-mind-deepens-into-them-there-i/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [In another life, I would be your girl. Capable of making promises. We would rule the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-perry/in-another-life-i-would-be-your-girl-capable-of-making-promises-we/) [Katy Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-perry/) > [I couldn't even think about wanting to be something else; I wouldn't let myself visualize another life. But I wrote because I couldn't stop.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/i-couldn-t-even-think-about-wanting-to-be-something-else-i-wouldn-t/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [And whatever my life had been up to that day, it was another life after that. And that is the gospel truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-barry/and-whatever-my-life-had-been-up-to-that-day-it-was-another-life/) [Sebastian Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-barry/) > [Literature duplicates the experience of living in a way that nothing else can, drawing you so fully into another life that you temporarily forget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/literature-duplicates-the-experience-of-living-in-a-way-that-nothing/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Whatever you have received more than others-in health, in talents, in ability, in success, in a pleasant childhood, in harmonious conditions of home life-all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-schweitzer/whatever-you-have-received-more-than-others-in-health-in-talents-in/) [Albert Schweitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-schweitzer/) > [“Let me give you a bit of advice.' the girl said bitterly, 'from one working girl to another; life isn't easy, no matter where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/let-me-give-you-a-bit-of-advice-the-girl-said-bitterly-from-one/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [“The vibrations he felt in his sleep had nothing to do with his soul easing out of his body as he dreamily thought; they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author-poet-aberjhani/the-vibrations-he-felt-in-his-sleep-had-nothing-to-do-with-his-soul/) Author-Poet Aberjhani > [I wasn't born with a tie or with Mark Shields stapled to my left hip. I have another life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/i-wasn-t-born-with-a-tie-or-with-mark-shields-stapled-to-my-left-hip/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [For many observers, a child who has known nothing but war, a child for whom the Kalashnikov is the only way to make a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael-beah/for-many-observers-a-child-who-has-known-nothing-but-war-a-child-for/) [Ishmael Beah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael-beah/) > [I mean, is there a chance for me? To have another life after this, a better one?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/i-mean-is-there-a-chance-for-me-to-have-another-life-after-this-a/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [We, all who live, have A life that is lived And another life that is thought, And the only life we have It's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/we-all-who-live-have-a-life-that-is-lived-and-another-life-that-is/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [The death-change comes. Death is another life. We bow our heads At going out, we think, and enter straight Another golden chamber of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-james-bailey/the-death-change-comes-death-is-another-life-we-bow-our-heads-at/) [Philip James Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-james-bailey/) [Browse all 433 Another life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/another-life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The life I touch for good or ill will touch another life, and in turn another, until who knows where the trembling stops or in what far place my touch will be felt.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frederick Buechner" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/the-life-i-touch-for-good-or-ill-will-touch-another-life-and-in-turn/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Another life" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/the-life-i-touch-for-good-or-ill-will-touch-another-life-and-in-turn/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57d/frederick-buechner-883_another-life_the-life-i-touch-for-good-or-ill-will-to_539163.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57d/frederick-buechner-883_another-life_the-life-i-touch-for-good-or-ill-will-to_539163.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57d/frederick-buechner-883_another-life_the-life-i-touch-for-good-or-ill-will-to_539163.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The life I touch for good or ill will touch another life, and in turn another, until who knows where the…” — Frederick Buechner", "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": "Frederick Buechner", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The life I touch for good...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/the-life-i-touch-for-good-or-ill-will-touch-another-life-and-in-turn/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/the-life-i-touch-for-good-or-ill-will-touch-another-life-and-in-turn/#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 } } ] } ```