---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is where I falter. This is where I…"
description: "\"“This is where I falter. This is where I lose myself. This is where years invert and minutes reverse and ideas of what was good and right upend. This i..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e16/hilary-thayer-hamann-14252_heartache_this-is-where-i-falter-this-is-where-i-l_506821.jpg"
---

#  This is where I falter. This is where I lose myself. This…

![“This is where I falter. This is where I lose myself. This is where years invert and minutes reverse and ideas of what was good and right upend. This is where time is dispersed, thrown down like leaves or stones to be read. It's difficult to say what really happened. I know that my heartache was…” quote by Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e16/hilary-thayer-hamann-14252_heartache_this-is-where-i-falter-this-is-where-i-l_506821.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e16/hilary-thayer-hamann-14252_heartache_this-is-where-i-falter-this-is-where-i-l_506821.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e16/hilary-thayer-hamann-14252_heartache_this-is-where-i-falter-this-is-where-i-l_506821.jpg)

> ““This is where I falter. This is where I lose myself. This is where years invert and minutes reverse and ideas of what was good and right upend. This is where time is dispersed, thrown down like leaves or stones to be read. It's difficult to say what really happened. I know that my heartache was indescribable, the depth of my loneliness astonishing. I know that I worked very hard, and I never intended to hurt anyone. I cannot describe a life dispossessed of happiness.””

[Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/)

## About This Quote

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

The speaker describes deep personal loss, loneliness, and the incomprehensible pain of a life stripped of happiness despite hard work and good intentions.

**In simple terms:** Deep personal loss and loneliness despite effort.

Key Takeaway

Acknowledge pain and seek healing.

Themes

loneliness heartache selfreflection loss misunderstanding

Mood

sad reflective somber

Type

personal emotional philosophical

When to use this quote

- grief counseling
- personal therapy
- support groups
- creative expression
- mindfulness practice

Key Concepts

existential despair emotional trauma identity crisis

Questions to Reflect On

- What does it mean to feel dispossessed of happiness?
- How can one find meaning after profound loss?

A Different Perspective

Healing may be slow and requires external support.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Heartache](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heartache/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [I look up to my parents because they were both following their dreams. But I also know the heartache and I saw how hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmine-cephas-jones/i-look-up-to-my-parents-because-they-were-both-following-their-dreams/)

[Jasmine Cephas Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmine-cephas-jones/)

> [“Most people don't know that heartache smells like blueberries.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-lee/most-people-don-t-know-that-heartache-smells-like-blueberries/)

[Stacey Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-lee/)

> [“We’re all a little broken. If we don’t know what heartache feels like, how would we know joy when it comes to us?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-g-castillo/we-re-all-a-little-broken-if-we-don-t-know-what-heartache-feels-like/)

[L.G. Castillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-g-castillo/)

> [No One ever discovers depth of his loneliness, its an unwanted emotion creeps larger day-by-day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sushan-sharma/no-one-ever-discovers-depth-of-his-loneliness-its-an-unwanted-emotion/)

[Sushan Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sushan-sharma/)

> [“My soul is so lonely, but I'm unwilling to describe that sort of loneliness for you, because I can't divulge the depth of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-soul-is-so-lonely-but-i-m-unwilling-to-describe-that-sort-of/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Light shines into the act of life for only the briefest moment-perhaps only a matter of seconds. Once it is gone and failed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/light-shines-into-the-act-of-life-for-only-the-briefest-moment/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Basically love is there to show you that your deepest secret are told but then shattered when people leave.Meanwhile love is to show you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-davies/basically-love-is-there-to-show-you-that-your-deepest-secret-are-told/)

[Ryan Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-davies/)

> [By the age of eighteen, a human has acquired enough joy and heartache to provide the food of reflection for a century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/by-the-age-of-eighteen-a-human-has-acquired-enough-joy-and-heartache/)

[Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/)

> [“Boys will always be boys,’ he said. ‘The relationship obviously wasn’t meant to be.’ He told me I should trust that the break-up was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristiane-backer/boys-will-always-be-boys-he-said-the-relationship-obviously-wasn-t/)

[Kristiane Backer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristiane-backer/)

> [Learning to trust is hard for many people, especially those who have been through bad break ups and who have experienced heartache from situations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/learning-to-trust-is-hard-for-many-people-especially-those-who-have/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“With peaks of joy and valleys of heartache, life is a roller coaster ride, the rise and fall of which defines our journey. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-cole/with-peaks-of-joy-and-valleys-of-heartache-life-is-a-roller-coaster/)

[Sebastian Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-cole/)

> [Attempt to be creative for the joy it brings… Select something like music, dance, sculpture, or poetry. Being creative will help you enjoy life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-g-scott/attempt-to-be-creative-for-the-joy-it-brings-select-something-like/)

[Richard G. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-g-scott/)

> [I was beautiful the day we met, But now I'm not so sure. Awkward and alone, you don't make me feel sexy anymore. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-was-beautiful-the-day-we-met-but-now-i-m-not-so-sure-awkward-and/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I don't hate you, i m just disappointed you turned into everything you said you'd never be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-hate-you-i-m-just-disappointed-you-turned-into-everything-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“...what happens when you return and find nothing but a hollowed shell, shingles and floor, walls and echoes and the light that lead you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellie-elmore/what-happens-when-you-return-and-find-nothing-but-a-hollowed-shell/)

[Kellie Elmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellie-elmore/)

## More by Hilary Thayer Hamann

> [“Hell is only loneliness, a place without play for the soul, a place without God. How could there be God in loneliness when God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/hell-is-only-loneliness-a-place-without-play-for-the-soul-a-place/)

[Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/)

> [“Having to talk to people was the one thing, but soliciting conversation was something else. If I acted squirmy or didn't make eye contact,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/having-to-talk-to-people-was-the-one-thing-but-soliciting/)

[Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/)

> [“I shook my head. I couldn't remember the time before, or the way it used to be. There were things we used to do,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/i-shook-my-head-i-couldn-t-remember-the-time-before-or-the-way-it/)

[Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/)

> [“Why remain polite but powerless, in love but a beggar?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/why-remain-polite-but-powerless-in-love-but-a-beggar/)

[Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/)

> [“They were sorting, or classifying. It's easy-anyone dressed funny is the enemy, especially if they reject your supremacy or do not acknowledge school as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/they-were-sorting-or-classifying-it-s-easy-anyone-dressed-funny-is/)

[Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/)

> [“The families of graduating seniors emptied out of cars, sheepish in uncommon splendor, like milling clans at the origin of a parade. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/the-families-of-graduating-seniors-emptied-out-of-cars-sheepish-in/)

[Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/)

> [And loneliness. I should say something of loneliness. The panic, the sweeping hysteria that comes not when you are without others, but when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/and-loneliness-i-should-say-something-of-loneliness-the-panic-the/)

[Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/)

> [“My mother refuses to go into the ocean. She respects it, she says, which is basically the same as saying she's afraid. I go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/my-mother-refuses-to-go-into-the-ocean-she-respects-it-she-says-which/)

[Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/)

> [“The unusual thing about quiet is that when you seek it, it is almost impossible to achieve. When you strive for quiet, you become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/the-unusual-thing-about-quiet-is-that-when-you-seek-it-it-is-almost/)

[Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/)

> [“I liked the idea of marking the place where a life ends as opposed to the place a corpse is buried. And also the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/i-liked-the-idea-of-marking-the-place-where-a-life-ends-as-opposed-to/)

[Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/)

> [“My hand reaches for his eye. He does not pull away but breathes into my touch. His normal lid drifts closed, and beneath my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/my-hand-reaches-for-his-eye-he-does-not-pull-away-but-breathes-into/)

[Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/)

> [“Envy is awful. Unlike jealousy, which comes from the threat of losing what you cherish, envy is a dark desire for things over which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/envy-is-awful-unlike-jealousy-which-comes-from-the-threat-of-losing/)

[Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/)

> [“Jocks were pretty much exempt from the standards that bound the rest of us. Teachers and administrators humor them because it's in everyone's interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/jocks-were-pretty-much-exempt-from-the-standards-that-bound-the-rest/)

[Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/)

> [“If you travel internationally, you will feel shocked by contemptuous talk of America. To hear your fellow citizens characterized as barbarians who know nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/if-you-travel-internationally-you-will-feel-shocked-by-contemptuous/)

[Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/)

> [“Lying is a full time occupation, even if you tell just one, because once you tell it, you're stuck with it. If you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/lying-is-a-full-time-occupation-even-if-you-tell-just-one-because/)

[Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/)

[Explore all 47 Hilary Thayer Hamann quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/)

## More Heartache quotes

> [“...what happens when you return and find nothing but a hollowed shell, shingles and floor, walls and echoes and the light that lead you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellie-elmore/what-happens-when-you-return-and-find-nothing-but-a-hollowed-shell/)

[Kellie Elmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellie-elmore/)

> [I don't hate you, i m just disappointed you turned into everything you said you'd never be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-hate-you-i-m-just-disappointed-you-turned-into-everything-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I was beautiful the day we met, But now I'm not so sure. Awkward and alone, you don't make me feel sexy anymore. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-was-beautiful-the-day-we-met-but-now-i-m-not-so-sure-awkward-and/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Attempt to be creative for the joy it brings… Select something like music, dance, sculpture, or poetry. Being creative will help you enjoy life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-g-scott/attempt-to-be-creative-for-the-joy-it-brings-select-something-like/)

[Richard G. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-g-scott/)

> [“With peaks of joy and valleys of heartache, life is a roller coaster ride, the rise and fall of which defines our journey. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-cole/with-peaks-of-joy-and-valleys-of-heartache-life-is-a-roller-coaster/)

[Sebastian Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-cole/)

> [Learning to trust is hard for many people, especially those who have been through bad break ups and who have experienced heartache from situations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/learning-to-trust-is-hard-for-many-people-especially-those-who-have/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Boys will always be boys,’ he said. ‘The relationship obviously wasn’t meant to be.’ He told me I should trust that the break-up was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristiane-backer/boys-will-always-be-boys-he-said-the-relationship-obviously-wasn-t/)

[Kristiane Backer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristiane-backer/)

> [By the age of eighteen, a human has acquired enough joy and heartache to provide the food of reflection for a century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/by-the-age-of-eighteen-a-human-has-acquired-enough-joy-and-heartache/)

[Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/)

> [Basically love is there to show you that your deepest secret are told but then shattered when people leave.Meanwhile love is to show you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-davies/basically-love-is-there-to-show-you-that-your-deepest-secret-are-told/)

[Ryan Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-davies/)

> [I take a step back, and let you go. I told you I'm not bulletproof; Now you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/i-take-a-step-back-and-let-you-go-i-told-you-i-m-not-bulletproof-now/)

[Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/)

> [Sadness flies on the wings of the morning, and out of the heart of darkness comes the light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-giraudoux/sadness-flies-on-the-wings-of-the-morning-and-out-of-the-heart-of/)

[Jean Giraudoux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-giraudoux/)

> [Look, I come from vaudeville, I come from burlesque, I come from heartaches, I come from sadness, I come from gladness, I come from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-rooney/look-i-come-from-vaudeville-i-come-from-burlesque-i-come-from/)

[Mickey Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickey-rooney/)

> [If you can forgive yourself as well as others and learn from your mistakes, problems and heartaches will be stepping stones on your path…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate/if-you-can-forgive-yourself-as-well-as-others-and-learn-from-your/)

[Nate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate/)

> [I know I lost him. I know I lost our love. It hurts inside, but I am truly glad I had something that provokes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-know-i-lost-him-i-know-i-lost-our-love-it-hurts-inside-but-i-am/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“So many people want fortune and fame but what they don’t realize is that it comes with a ton of heartache. - Ryan Christensen”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-reber/so-many-people-want-fortune-and-fame-but-what-they-don-t-realize-is/)

[Tina Reber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-reber/)

[Browse all 1,254 Heartache quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heartache/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“This is where I falter. This is where I lose myself. This is where years invert and minutes reverse and ideas of what was good and right upend. This is where time is dispersed, thrown down like leaves or stones to be read. It's difficult to say what really happened. I know that my heartache was indescribable, the depth of my loneliness astonishing. I know that I worked very hard, and I never intended to hurt anyone. I cannot describe a life dispossessed of happiness.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Hilary Thayer Hamann"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/this-is-where-i-falter-this-is-where-i-lose-myself-this-is-where/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Heartache"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/this-is-where-i-falter-this-is-where-i-lose-myself-this-is-where/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e16/hilary-thayer-hamann-14252_heartache_this-is-where-i-falter-this-is-where-i-l_506821.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e16/hilary-thayer-hamann-14252_heartache_this-is-where-i-falter-this-is-where-i-l_506821.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e16/hilary-thayer-hamann-14252_heartache_this-is-where-i-falter-this-is-where-i-l_506821.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“This is where I falter. This is where I lose myself. This is where years invert and minutes reverse and…” — Hilary Thayer Hamann",
                "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": "Hilary Thayer Hamann",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“This is where I falter. This...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/this-is-where-i-falter-this-is-where-i-lose-myself-this-is-where/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/this-is-where-i-falter-this-is-where-i-lose-myself-this-is-where/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```