--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She understood now that knowing when to…" description: "\"“She understood now that knowing when to walk away and when to hunker down and refuse to leave were equally difficult decisions to make in a marriage; ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dd/holly-kennedy-48636_difficult-decisions_she-understood-now-that-knowing-when-to_3006751.jpg" --- # She understood now that knowing when to walk away and when… ![“She understood now that knowing when to walk away and when to hunker down and refuse to leave were equally difficult decisions to make in a marriage; that going back didn't have to mean settling; and that the most fulfilling times weren't always before a storm, but sometimes long after the dust…” quote by Holly Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dd/holly-kennedy-48636_difficult-decisions_she-understood-now-that-knowing-when-to_3006751.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dd/holly-kennedy-48636_difficult-decisions_she-understood-now-that-knowing-when-to_3006751.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dd/holly-kennedy-48636_difficult-decisions_she-understood-now-that-knowing-when-to_3006751.jpg) > ““She understood now that knowing when to walk away and when to hunker down and refuse to leave were equally difficult decisions to make in a marriage; that going back didn't have to mean settling; and that the most fulfilling times weren't always before a storm, but sometimes long after the dust had settled, when you were able to lift your chin and see what was left standing so you could wrap yourself around it with all of the wonder it deserved.”” [Holly Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-kennedy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing when to stay or leave a marriage is complex; fulfillment often comes after turbulence, when one can appreciate resilience and wonder. **In simple terms:** Marriage decisions are hard; peace often follows storms. Key Takeaway Recognize growth after hardship and honor personal resilience. Themes relationships resilience self‑discovery Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - marriage counseling - personal healing - post‑conflict growth - self‑reflection Key Concepts psychology emotional intelligence life cycles Questions to Reflect On - What signs indicate it’s time to reassess a relationship? - How can you nurture wonder after hardship? A Different Perspective Ignoring the need for change can trap partners in stagnation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Difficult decisions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-decisions/) [Dust Settled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dust-settled-1843431/) [Fulfilling Times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fulfilling-times-3842840/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Settled Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/settled-able-4801056/) [Settling Fulfilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/settling-fulfilling-4801055/) ## Related quotes > [“But maybe it’s the laboring that gives you shape. 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It's due to lots of very difficult decisions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-thompson/i-do-think-that-despite-my-best-efforts-to-resist-it-i-am-now-a-grown/) [Emma Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-thompson/) ## More by Holly Kennedy > [“Why do people say trees are majestic?" --- "Because they've earned it. After a sapling's roots take hold, they spread out to give it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-kennedy/why-do-people-say-trees-are-majestic-because-they-ve-earned-it-after/) [Holly Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-kennedy/) > [“There were a few spots on every child that only a mother knows or cares about. One is the small indentation at the base…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-kennedy/there-were-a-few-spots-on-every-child-that-only-a-mother-knows-or/) [Holly Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-kennedy/) > [“Any family can fall apart, Annie. 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Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-v-snyder/) > [“I knew that taking down the monuments was going to be tough, but you elected me to do the right thing, not the easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-landrieu/i-knew-that-taking-down-the-monuments-was-going-to-be-tough-but-you/) [Mitch Landrieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-landrieu/) > [At a time when we're having to take such difficult decisions about how to cut back without damaging the things that matter the most,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cameron/at-a-time-when-we-re-having-to-take-such-difficult-decisions-about/) [David Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cameron/) > [Life demands sacrifice and difficult decisions from us at every moment. Living does not mean passing through a void of nothingness but rather through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-demands-sacrifice-and-difficult-decisions-from-us-at-every/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 112 Difficult decisions quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-decisions/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“She understood now that knowing when to walk away and when to hunker down and refuse to leave were equally difficult decisions to make in a marriage; that going back didn't have to mean settling; and that the most fulfilling times weren't always before a storm, but sometimes long after the dust had settled, when you were able to lift your chin and see what was left standing so you could wrap yourself around it with all of the wonder it deserved.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Holly Kennedy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-kennedy/she-understood-now-that-knowing-when-to-walk-away-and-when-to-hunker/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Difficult decisions" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-kennedy/she-understood-now-that-knowing-when-to-walk-away-and-when-to-hunker/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dd/holly-kennedy-48636_difficult-decisions_she-understood-now-that-knowing-when-to_3006751.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dd/holly-kennedy-48636_difficult-decisions_she-understood-now-that-knowing-when-to_3006751.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dd/holly-kennedy-48636_difficult-decisions_she-understood-now-that-knowing-when-to_3006751.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“She understood now that knowing when to walk away and when to hunker down and refuse to leave were equally…” — Holly Kennedy", "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": "Holly Kennedy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-kennedy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“She understood now that knowing when...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-kennedy/she-understood-now-that-knowing-when-to-walk-away-and-when-to-hunker/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-kennedy/she-understood-now-that-knowing-when-to-walk-away-and-when-to-hunker/#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 } } ] } ```