---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I had to say how I felt, I would say…"
description: "\"“If I had to say how I felt, I would say like a box that had been turned upside down. And the box was surprised by just how empty it was.”\" — Grace McC..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/162/grace-mccleen-56228_felt-say_if-i-had-to-say-how-i-felt-i-would-say-l_2841364.jpg"
---

#  If I had to say how I felt, I would say like a box that…

![“If I had to say how I felt, I would say like a box that had been turned upside down. And the box was surprised by just how empty it was.” quote by Grace McCleen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/162/grace-mccleen-56228_felt-say_if-i-had-to-say-how-i-felt-i-would-say-l_2841364.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/162/grace-mccleen-56228_felt-say_if-i-had-to-say-how-i-felt-i-would-say-l_2841364.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/162/grace-mccleen-56228_felt-say_if-i-had-to-say-how-i-felt-i-would-say-l_2841364.jpg)

> ““If I had to say how I felt, I would say like a box that had been turned upside down. And the box was surprised by just how empty it was.””

[Grace McCleen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-mccleen/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Feeling disoriented and empty can be likened to a turned‑upside‑down box, revealing unexpected voids.

**In simple terms:** Emptiness feels upside down.

Key Takeaway

Acknowledge inner emptiness.

Themes

emotion disorientation self‑awareness

Mood

introspective melancholic

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- midlife crisis
- grief
- creative block
- spiritual doubt

Key Concepts

psychological emptiness identity crisis

Questions to Reflect On

- What empties you?
- How to fill the void?

A Different Perspective

Empty feelings may be temporary.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

## Related quotes

> [“Always work. And I think because you didn’t even have that in common with him he simply felt he had nothing to say.” It”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-beattie/always-work-and-i-think-because-you-didn-t-even-have-that-in-common/)

Michelle Beattie

> [“Reagan was read portions of his own diary, and he said something I'll never forget: "It's like I wasn't president at all". Very sad.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-woodward/reagan-was-read-portions-of-his-own-diary-and-he-said-something-i-ll/)

[Bob Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-woodward/)

> [I felt voiceless for so long, I wasn't ever able to say what I felt out loud. I didn't know how to say it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupi-kaur/i-felt-voiceless-for-so-long-i-wasn-t-ever-able-to-say-what-i-felt/)

[Rupi Kaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupi-kaur/)

> [“For she had come to feel that it was the only thing worth saying--what one felt. Cleverness was silly. One must simply say what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/for-she-had-come-to-feel-that-it-was-the-only-thing-worth-saying-what/)

[Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/)

> [“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/)

> [“Jules.” I saw everything in that one second, everything he couldn’t say, everything he’d ever felt. “Don’t let go,” I whispered.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharla-lovelace/jules-i-saw-everything-in-that-one-second-everything-he-couldn-t-say/)

[Sharla Lovelace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharla-lovelace/)

> [I wish I could say I felt guilty for what I did. I don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-wish-i-could-say-i-felt-guilty-for-what-i-did-i-don-t/)

[Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/)

> [“Be what you are and say what i felt, because those who mind i dont worry, and those who worry I don't mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/razia-dalvi/be-what-you-are-and-say-what-i-felt-because-those-who-mind-i-dont/)

razia dalvi

> [I can't remember the last time I can say I felt truly unwound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-davies/i-can-t-remember-the-last-time-i-can-say-i-felt-truly-unwound/)

[Greg Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-davies/)

> [I don't think I have ever been completely satisfied, which is probably the right way to say it. I always felt like I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zelina-vega/i-don-t-think-i-have-ever-been-completely-satisfied-which-is-probably/)

[Zelina Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zelina-vega/)

> [“...His gaze seemed to say what I felt: looking at you eases everything inside of me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-laurens/his-gaze-seemed-to-say-what-i-felt-looking-at-you-eases-everything/)

[Jennifer Laurens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-laurens/)

> [Bottom is bottom, even if it is turned upside down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-vaughan/bottom-is-bottom-even-if-it-is-turned-upside-down/)

[Bill Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-vaughan/)

> [My life got turned upside down when I found out I had cancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taboo/my-life-got-turned-upside-down-when-i-found-out-i-had-cancer/)

[Taboo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taboo/)

> [“I was the mess who didn’t know how to get her head back on straight after her whole life had been turned upside-down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marni-mann/i-was-the-mess-who-didn-t-know-how-to-get-her-head-back-on-straight/)

[Marni Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marni-mann/)

> [He sighed, wondering how his life had been turned upside down by this woman in less than forty-eight hours. Correction: by this woman, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-quinn/he-sighed-wondering-how-his-life-had-been-turned-upside-down-by-this/)

[Julia Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-quinn/)

## More by Grace McCleen

> [“... there won't be any unbelievers or any war or any famine or any suffering. There won't be any pollution or any towns either.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-mccleen/there-won-t-be-any-unbelievers-or-any-war-or-any-famine-or-any/)

[Grace McCleen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-mccleen/)

> [“Miracles don't have to be big, and they can happen in the unlikeliest places. Sometimes they are so small people don't notice. Sometimes miracles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-mccleen/miracles-don-t-have-to-be-big-and-they-can-happen-in-the-unlikeliest/)

[Grace McCleen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-mccleen/)

> [“Once there was a man and a woman. When they met sparks flew, meteors collided, asteroids turned cartwheels and atoms split. He loved her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-mccleen/once-there-was-a-man-and-a-woman-when-they-met-sparks-flew-meteors/)

[Grace McCleen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-mccleen/)

> [“Something and Nothing are more closely related than people think, God said.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-mccleen/something-and-nothing-are-more-closely-related-than-people-think-god/)

[Grace McCleen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-mccleen/)

> [I wondered what it would be like to die. Was it like going to sleep or like waking up? Was there no more time?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-mccleen/i-wondered-what-it-would-be-like-to-die-was-it-like-going-to-sleep-or/)

[Grace McCleen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-mccleen/)

[Explore all 6 Grace McCleen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-mccleen/)

## More Felt Say quotes

> [“Always work. And I think because you didn’t even have that in common with him he simply felt he had nothing to say.” It”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-beattie/always-work-and-i-think-because-you-didn-t-even-have-that-in-common/)

Michelle Beattie

> [“Reagan was read portions of his own diary, and he said something I'll never forget: "It's like I wasn't president at all". Very sad.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-woodward/reagan-was-read-portions-of-his-own-diary-and-he-said-something-i-ll/)

[Bob Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-woodward/)

Browse all 3 Felt Say quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“If I had to say how I felt, I would say like a box that had been turned upside down. And the box was surprised by just how empty it was.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Grace McCleen"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-mccleen/if-i-had-to-say-how-i-felt-i-would-say-like-a-box-that-had-been/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Felt Say"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-mccleen/if-i-had-to-say-how-i-felt-i-would-say-like-a-box-that-had-been/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/162/grace-mccleen-56228_felt-say_if-i-had-to-say-how-i-felt-i-would-say-l_2841364.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/162/grace-mccleen-56228_felt-say_if-i-had-to-say-how-i-felt-i-would-say-l_2841364.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/162/grace-mccleen-56228_felt-say_if-i-had-to-say-how-i-felt-i-would-say-l_2841364.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If I had to say how I felt, I would say like a box that had been turned upside down. And the box was…” — Grace McCleen",
                "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": "Grace McCleen",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-mccleen/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“If I had to say how...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-mccleen/if-i-had-to-say-how-i-felt-i-would-say-like-a-box-that-had-been/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-mccleen/if-i-had-to-say-how-i-felt-i-would-say-like-a-box-that-had-been/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```