--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was a sickening, humbling, maddeningly…" description: "\"“It was a sickening, humbling, maddeningly powerless sensation this watching them and waiting for them to come to him. For the time they could be a fam..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/638/genevieve-dewey-20743_family-relationships_it-was-a-sickening-humbling-maddeningly_1043459.jpg" --- # It was a sickening, humbling, maddeningly powerless… ![“It was a sickening, humbling, maddeningly powerless sensation this watching them and waiting for them to come to him. For the time they could be a family again. But Mickey did it like one’s tongue pointlessly finds a mouth sore over and over again, half to see if it was still there, half to see if…” quote by Genevieve Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/638/genevieve-dewey-20743_family-relationships_it-was-a-sickening-humbling-maddeningly_1043459.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/638/genevieve-dewey-20743_family-relationships_it-was-a-sickening-humbling-maddeningly_1043459.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/638/genevieve-dewey-20743_family-relationships_it-was-a-sickening-humbling-maddeningly_1043459.jpg) > ““It was a sickening, humbling, maddeningly powerless sensation this watching them and waiting for them to come to him. For the time they could be a family again. But Mickey did it like one’s tongue pointlessly finds a mouth sore over and over again, half to see if it was still there, half to see if it still hurt.”” [Genevieve Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-dewey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A painful, helpless feeling of watching loved ones suffer, hoping for reunion, yet repeatedly testing the lingering pain. **In simple terms:** Feeling helpless while waiting for family to heal. Key Takeaway Acknowledge pain, seek support. Themes family pain hope helplessness reunion Mood sad reflective hopeful Type narrative emotional psychological When to use this quote - grief counseling - family reunions - personal healing - support groups Key Concepts emotional resilience psychological trauma attachment Questions to Reflect On - How do you confront repeated emotional wounds? - What supports help you move beyond helplessness? A Different Perspective The sensation may mask deeper denial, preventing healing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Family relationships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family-relationships/) [Sickening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sickening/) ## Related quotes > [“You bring any cannoli?' Mickey whispered, trying to downplay his worry with humor. 'No, but I’m keeping my gun no matter what he says.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-dewey/you-bring-any-cannoli-mickey-whispered-trying-to-downplay-his-worry/) [Genevieve Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-dewey/) > [“...it isn’t things and proximity, or even blood that holds us all together. What makes a family is love and loyalty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-dewey/it-isn-t-things-and-proximity-or-even-blood-that-holds-us-all/) [Genevieve Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-dewey/) > [The very idea that human beings are held in bondage is sickening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-davey/the-very-idea-that-human-beings-are-held-in-bondage-is-sickening/) [Ed Davey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-davey/) > [“Killing animals to make a fashion statement = a sickening + cold-blooded vanity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-c-scott-2/killing-animals-to-make-a-fashion-statement-a-sickening-cold-blooded/) [Jess C. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-c-scott-2/) > [The whole glorification of opulence and gluttony... it's just sickening to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/everlast/the-whole-glorification-of-opulence-and-gluttony-it-s-just-sickening/) [Everlast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/everlast/) > [“There’s nothing more sickening to me than a low-grade white man who’ll take advantage of a Negro’s ignorance. Don’t fool yourselves—it’s all adding up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/there-s-nothing-more-sickening-to-me-than-a-low-grade-white-man-who/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [It's slanderous to report things I didn't say, to degrade my reputation, it's sickening to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-tannehill/it-s-slanderous-to-report-things-i-didn-t-say-to-degrade-my/) [Ryan Tannehill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-tannehill/) > [One moment you appear to be riding the crest of a wave, only to have the rug pulled away from you, bringing you back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrow/one-moment-you-appear-to-be-riding-the-crest-of-a-wave-only-to-have/) [John Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrow/) > [Its amazing how humanity can be both sickening and beautiful all at once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-amazing-how-humanity-can-be-both-sickening-and-beautiful-all-at/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Have you ever sent a loved son on vacation, and had him returned to you in a pine box, so horribly battered and water-logged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mamie-till/have-you-ever-sent-a-loved-son-on-vacation-and-had-him-returned-to/) [Mamie Till](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mamie-till/) > [“She was like a bride-to-be who begins to feel her sickening qualms as the day approaches, and dares not speak her mind because so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/she-was-like-a-bride-to-be-who-begins-to-feel-her-sickening-qualms-as/) [Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [“Politicians are in the process of committing species extinction in honor of their corporate sponsors and the general public are along for the sickening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/politicians-are-in-the-process-of-committing-species-extinction-in/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“The smells arose from everything, everywhere, flowing together and remaining as a sickening, tantalizing discomfort. They flowed from the delicatessen shop with its uncovered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-r-braithwaite/the-smells-arose-from-everything-everywhere-flowing-together-and/) [E.R. Braithwaite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-r-braithwaite/) > [The murders in Paris are sickening, we stand with the French people in the fight against terror and defending the freedom of the press.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cameron/the-murders-in-paris-are-sickening-we-stand-with-the-french-people-in/) [David Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cameron/) > [“Thinking about the weather was one way of shutting out of his mind the appalling bloody human mess sprawled out over the bed of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ellis/thinking-about-the-weather-was-one-way-of-shutting-out-of-his-mind/) [Mark Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ellis/) ## More by Genevieve Dewey > [“Mary girl, life is as simple as we let it be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-dewey/mary-girl-life-is-as-simple-as-we-let-it-be/) [Genevieve Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-dewey/) > [“Yes, life was made up of these instances in time. Big moments hidden inside little decisions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-dewey/yes-life-was-made-up-of-these-instances-in-time-big-moments-hidden/) [Genevieve Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-dewey/) > [“Every conversation they had anymore it felt like instead of unraveling the mystery, it just further entangled all of them into a twisted never-ending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-dewey/every-conversation-they-had-anymore-it-felt-like-instead-of/) [Genevieve Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-dewey/) > [“His face burst into a prism of colors and light as her eyes welled with tears and when they fell down her cheeks it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-dewey/his-face-burst-into-a-prism-of-colors-and-light-as-her-eyes-welled/) [Genevieve Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-dewey/) > [“I want to be with you, Demetria. Go on dates, have sex and pointless arguments, figure out why you like to eat rabbit food,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-dewey/i-want-to-be-with-you-demetria-go-on-dates-have-sex-and-pointless/) [Genevieve Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-dewey/) > [“Just because the bully was always nice to you, never stole your lunch money, didn’t make him any less of a bully, did it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-dewey/just-because-the-bully-was-always-nice-to-you-never-stole-your-lunch/) [Genevieve Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-dewey/) > [“The truth is a community is as big or as small as your heart lets it be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-dewey/the-truth-is-a-community-is-as-big-or-as-small-as-your-heart-lets-it/) [Genevieve Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-dewey/) > [“This was like discovering your vanilla cupcake had a chocolate fudge center.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-dewey/this-was-like-discovering-your-vanilla-cupcake-had-a-chocolate-fudge/) [Genevieve Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-dewey/) > [“A mixed up knot of incompatible roles, tied up too tight to know where one ended and another began.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-dewey/a-mixed-up-knot-of-incompatible-roles-tied-up-too-tight-to-know-where/) [Genevieve Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-dewey/) > [“And maybe then when they were all a family, Tommy would be able to see what Mary used to see, what his other children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-dewey/and-maybe-then-when-they-were-all-a-family-tommy-would-be-able-to-see/) [Genevieve Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-dewey/) > [“...for there is nothing so perfect as a thing with no ending and no beginning, such as a family of souls intertwined.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-dewey/for-there-is-nothing-so-perfect-as-a-thing-with-no-ending-and-no/) [Genevieve Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-dewey/) > [“Just one word, infused with naked desperation; half prayer, half enchantment. It felt like a freezing charm on her soul making her his prisoner,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-dewey/just-one-word-infused-with-naked-desperation-half-prayer-half/) [Genevieve Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-dewey/) > [“Intentions were powerful things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-dewey/intentions-were-powerful-things/) [Genevieve Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-dewey/) > [“Luchese lit his cigar and pushed up the sleeves of his jacket as if preparing for work. Bring it on, fuckface, James thought. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-dewey/luchese-lit-his-cigar-and-pushed-up-the-sleeves-of-his-jacket-as-if/) [Genevieve Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-dewey/) > [“Y’ever notice that sometimes we get so focused on the path we’re treadin’ that we lose sight of where we’re goin’ in the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-dewey/y-ever-notice-that-sometimes-we-get-so-focused-on-the-path-we-re/) [Genevieve Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-dewey/) [Explore all 30 Genevieve Dewey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-dewey/) ## More Family relationships quotes > [“My brother trolled recovery and support groups, searching for women with dependency issues, the way I frequented bookstores with the hope of finding a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-o-brien/my-brother-trolled-recovery-and-support-groups-searching-for-women/) Richard J. 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I didn't say that this fiery chemical explosion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-bauer/why-do-you-think-a-j-they-say-in-unison-that-you-find-these-boys-so/) [Joan Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-bauer/) > [“Should I talk to her friends?’ he asked softly, because he had to say something to take his mind away from the feel of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-rose/should-i-talk-to-her-friends-he-asked-softly-because-he-had-to-say/) Elisabeth Rose > [“She took comfort in the familiarity of his smell, knowing that if she lost all her possessions and her home, at least she would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sage-steadman/she-took-comfort-in-the-familiarity-of-his-smell-knowing-that-if-she/) [Sage Steadman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sage-steadman/) > [“I believe in fate and I believe you were supposed to walk into my life, so Mason could walk into yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-frank/i-believe-in-fate-and-i-believe-you-were-supposed-to-walk-into-my/) [Ella Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-frank/) > [“There are all sorts of families," Tom's grandmother had remarked, and over the following few weeks Tom became part of the Casson family, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mckay/there-are-all-sorts-of-families-tom-s-grandmother-had-remarked-and/) [Hilary McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mckay/) > [“When you're sorting yourself out, family are not often the ones you can turn to. They represent the place of departure and not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/witi-ihimaera/when-you-re-sorting-yourself-out-family-are-not-often-the-ones-you/) [Witi Ihimaera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/witi-ihimaera/) > [“Embrace your beautiful mess of a life with your child. No matter how hard it gets, do not disengage... Do something—anything—to connect with and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-kerckhoff/embrace-your-beautiful-mess-of-a-life-with-your-child-no-matter-how/) Andy Kerckhoff > [“I could feel the hard part of Mom very strongly that time. 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Real family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martina-boone/but-the-people-who-mattered-were-the-people-you-chose-instead-of-the/) [Martina Boone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martina-boone/) > [“Speaking generally, however, when you interact with someone else, you are doing outer work (physical time, play time, connecting time) ... as many sociologists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/speaking-generally-however-when-you-interact-with-someone-else-you/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) [Browse all 286 Family relationships quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family-relationships/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It was a sickening, humbling, maddeningly powerless sensation this watching them and waiting for them to come to him. For the time they could be a family again. 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