--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My mother killed herself when I was 12. I…" description: "\"My mother killed herself when I was 12. I won't complete that relationship. But I can try to understand her.\" — Jane Fonda" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/170/jane-fonda-1041_i-can_my-mother-killed-herself-when-i-was-12-i_349265.jpg" --- # My mother killed herself when I was 12. I won't complete… ![“My mother killed herself when I was 12. I won't complete that relationship. But I can try to understand her.” quote by Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/170/jane-fonda-1041_i-can_my-mother-killed-herself-when-i-was-12-i_349265.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/170/jane-fonda-1041_i-can_my-mother-killed-herself-when-i-was-12-i_349265.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/170/jane-fonda-1041_i-can_my-mother-killed-herself-when-i-was-12-i_349265.jpg) > “My mother killed herself when I was 12. I won't complete that relationship. But I can try to understand her.” [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A personal tragedy can create lasting emotional wounds, yet also a desire for empathy and insight into the lost loved one. **In simple terms:** Loss can inspire understanding. Key Takeaway Seek empathy, not resentment. Themes grief family healing Mood sad reflective Type personal emotional When to use this quote - therapy - journaling - support groups - family conversations Key Concepts psychology attachment memory Questions to Reflect On - How can you honor her memory while protecting yourself? - What does understanding her change your view of yourself? A Different Perspective Understanding may not erase pain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [I can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-can/) [Killed 12](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killed-12-939860/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Mother Killed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother-killed-396633/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship/) [Try to understand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try-to-understand/) [Try Understand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try-understand/) ## Related quotes > [We know that many of the apostles of Christ were killed. Eleven out of 12 met violent deaths when they were just talking about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/we-know-that-many-of-the-apostles-of-christ-were-killed-eleven-out-of/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Our mother was killed for something she did not do. She was taken away from us. That's as personal as it can get. But,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-meeropol/our-mother-was-killed-for-something-she-did-not-do-she-was-taken-away/) [Robert Meeropol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-meeropol/) > [My mother, she killed me, My father, he ate me, My sister Marlene, Gathered all my bones, Tied them in a silken scarf, Laid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-mother-she-killed-me-my-father-he-ate-me-my-sister-marlene/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [After Babar's mother was killed by the hunter, he went to the big city.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-brunhoff/after-babar-s-mother-was-killed-by-the-hunter-he-went-to-the-big-city/) [Jean De Brunhoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-brunhoff/) > [Dear doctor, you must not only let the patient tells his story, but you should also try to understand it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-c-brown/dear-doctor-you-must-not-only-let-the-patient-tells-his-story-but-you/) [William C. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-c-brown/) > [Maybe to try to understand not just that we are living in a certain building or in a certain location, but to become aware…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andreas-gursky/maybe-to-try-to-understand-not-just-that-we-are-living-in-a-certain/) [Andreas Gursky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreas-gursky/) > [Maturity is when a person hurts you and you try to understand why they act that way towards you. As the result, you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/maturity-is-when-a-person-hurts-you-and-you-try-to-understand-why/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When so many people misunderstand you, you learn not to try and explain yourself and wait for the people who actually try to understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-hanthorn/when-so-many-people-misunderstand-you-you-learn-not-to-try-and/) [Morgan Hanthorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-hanthorn/) > [Historically, it is important to try to understand your adversary in order to figure out how they are thinking, what they will be doing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/historically-it-is-important-to-try-to-understand-your-adversary-in/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Maturity is when a person hurts you and you try to understand their stand, rather than hurting them back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/maturity-is-when-a-person-hurts-you-and-you-try-to-understand-their/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [Try to be positive about every human being and try to understand their problems by being in their shoes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/try-to-be-positive-about-every-human-being-and-try-to-understand/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don't try to understand me, it will just leave u more confused than what u assumed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabmello/don-t-try-to-understand-me-it-will-just-leave-u-more-confused-than/) [Kabmello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabmello/) > [I try to understand people who aren't as smart as me and not be hateful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-coleman/i-try-to-understand-people-who-aren-t-as-smart-as-me-and-not-be/) [Gary Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-coleman/) > [“The more greedily you try to understand people, the less you understand them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takahashi-takako/the-more-greedily-you-try-to-understand-people-the-less-you/) [Takahashi Takako](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takahashi-takako/) > [We are different. We are equal in every way but our voices are important to each other and our need to want to listen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-ullmann/we-are-different-we-are-equal-in-every-way-but-our-voices-are/) [Liv Ullmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-ullmann/) ## More by Jane Fonda > [Shortly after I turned 50, both Ted Turner and the AARP came into my life. The only difference? With AARP, there were benefits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/shortly-after-i-turned-50-both-ted-turner-and-the-aarp-came-into-my/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) > [Exercise teaches you the pleasure of discipline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/exercise-teaches-you-the-pleasure-of-discipline/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) > [Women are rising. And I think that's all the violence and war - it could be the last gasp of the patriarchy, actually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/women-are-rising-and-i-think-that-s-all-the-violence-and-war-it-could/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) > [pragmatist that I am, I always meet necessity with enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/pragmatist-that-i-am-i-always-meet-necessity-with-enthusiasm/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) > [I don't know if a country (America) where the people are so ignorant of reality and of history, if you can call that a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/i-don-t-know-if-a-country-america-where-the-people-are-so-ignorant-of/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) > [I don't want to die without knowing who I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/i-don-t-want-to-die-without-knowing-who-i-am/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) > [To do life right, you have to feel like you're growing up until the day you die. The thing I'm proudest of is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/to-do-life-right-you-have-to-feel-like-you-re-growing-up-until-the/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) > [So I grew up feeling that I wasn't good enough, and that no-one would love me unless I was perfect. But no-one's perfect, we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/so-i-grew-up-feeling-that-i-wasn-t-good-enough-and-that-no-one-would/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) > [Female listeners are leaving traditional talk radio because of the rough-edged, shouting nature of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/female-listeners-are-leaving-traditional-talk-radio-because-of-the/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) > [The most important thing to do as you age is to stay physically active. Lots of people just throw in the towel if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/the-most-important-thing-to-do-as-you-age-is-to-stay-physically/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) > [“I spent most of my time floating on an inflatable raft in the pristine Mediterranean waters, my big belly curving toward the sun, reading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/i-spent-most-of-my-time-floating-on-an-inflatable-raft-in-the/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) > [Christ was the first feminist and because of that I've learned from his teaching to call myself a Christian feminist, adding that her faith…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/christ-was-the-first-feminist-and-because-of-that-i-ve-learned-from/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) > [He's my favorite ex-husband. We get along great. I love to fish, and he has some beautiful property down there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/he-s-my-favorite-ex-husband-we-get-along-great-i-love-to-fish-and-he/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) > [When I'm in Canada, I feel this is what the world should be like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/when-i-m-in-canada-i-feel-this-is-what-the-world-should-be-like/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) > [Enjoyable does not necessarily mean easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/enjoyable-does-not-necessarily-mean-easy/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) [Explore all 303 Jane Fonda quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) ## More I can quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [My team mates are fundamental for my characteristics, if they send in crosses I can play inside the area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/filippo-inzaghi/my-team-mates-are-fundamental-for-my-characteristics-if-they-send-in/) [Filippo Inzaghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/filippo-inzaghi/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [I always step on the plane with my right foot and touch the outside of the plane with my left hand. Sometimes you know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-davis/i-always-step-on-the-plane-with-my-right-foot-and-touch-the-outside/) [Hope Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-davis/) > [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [I don't want to be famous famous. I'm happy on the second tier, where I have autonomy on a professional level but I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-reece/i-don-t-want-to-be-famous-famous-i-m-happy-on-the-second-tier-where-i/) [Gabrielle Reece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-reece/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [From my experience of having served for 3000 days, I can say that anything can be achieved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/from-my-experience-of-having-served-for-3000-days-i-can-say-that/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/) [Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/) > [I take the responsibility of playing another ethnicity very, very seriously, and I promise myself and those people that I will represent them with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-curtis/i-take-the-responsibility-of-playing-another-ethnicity-very-very/) [Cliff Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-curtis/) > [I can't say that there are 'things' that make me come alive. There are thoughts that make me come alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-can-t-say-that-there-are-things-that-make-me-come-alive-there-are/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [I'm Catholic and I can't commit suicide, but I plan to drink myself to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-m-catholic-and-i-can-t-commit-suicide-but-i-plan-to-drink-myself-to/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [I remember my friend Johnny von Neumann used to say, 'with four parameters I can fit an elephant and with five I can make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enrico-fermi/i-remember-my-friend-johnny-von-neumann-used-to-say-with-four/) [Enrico Fermi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enrico-fermi/) > [I recognize I am essentially a failed human being in the sense that I can't possibly live up to the expectations of an Almighty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-recognize-i-am-essentially-a-failed-human-being-in-the-sense-that-i/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) [Browse all 24,836 I can quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-can/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My mother killed herself when I was 12. I won't complete that relationship. But I can try to understand her.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jane Fonda" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/my-mother-killed-herself-when-i-was-12-i-won-t-complete-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "I can" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/my-mother-killed-herself-when-i-was-12-i-won-t-complete-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/170/jane-fonda-1041_i-can_my-mother-killed-herself-when-i-was-12-i_349265.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/170/jane-fonda-1041_i-can_my-mother-killed-herself-when-i-was-12-i_349265.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/170/jane-fonda-1041_i-can_my-mother-killed-herself-when-i-was-12-i_349265.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My mother killed herself when I was 12. I won't complete that relationship. But I can try to understand her.” — Jane Fonda", "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": "Jane Fonda", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My mother killed herself when I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/my-mother-killed-herself-when-i-was-12-i-won-t-complete-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/my-mother-killed-herself-when-i-was-12-i-won-t-complete-that/#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 } } ] } ```