--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He hadn't realized how much it could…" description: "\"“He hadn't realized how much it could mean, having someone to talk to like that; he hadn't realized that it could be a kind of lifeline, and that witho..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4a/jennifer-e-smith-1454_quote_he-hadn-t-realized-how-much-it-could-mea_1356693.jpg" --- # He hadn't realized how much it could mean, having someone… ![“He hadn't realized how much it could mean, having someone to talk to like that; he hadn't realized that it could be a kind of lifeline, and that without it, there would be nobody to save you if you started to drown.” quote by Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4a/jennifer-e-smith-1454_quote_he-hadn-t-realized-how-much-it-could-mea_1356693.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4a/jennifer-e-smith-1454_quote_he-hadn-t-realized-how-much-it-could-mea_1356693.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4a/jennifer-e-smith-1454_quote_he-hadn-t-realized-how-much-it-could-mea_1356693.jpg) > ““He hadn't realized how much it could mean, having someone to talk to like that; he hadn't realized that it could be a kind of lifeline, and that without it, there would be nobody to save you if you started to drown.”” [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Finding a trusted confidant can become a lifeline, essential for emotional survival during crises. **In simple terms:** A confidant can save you from drowning. Key Takeaway Seek and nurture supportive relationships. Themes friendship support emotional health Mood hopeful reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - mental health struggles - relationship building - crisis coping - loneliness - trust building Key Concepts psychology lifeline communication Questions to Reflect On - Who can you turn to when you feel overwhelmed? - How can you become a lifeline for others? A Different Perspective Relying solely on one person can be risky. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“He was surprised to find how much he missed writing to her. For so many months, she'd been the person on the other end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/he-was-surprised-to-find-how-much-he-missed-writing-to-her-for-so/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [We target people who understand that relationships are the lifeline of a small company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rose/we-target-people-who-understand-that-relationships-are-the-lifeline/) [David Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rose/) > [I am enjoying my work but films are not my lifeline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riya-sen/i-am-enjoying-my-work-but-films-are-not-my-lifeline/) [Riya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riya-sen/) > [“From the boardroom to the front line, you need to believe that, the customer is the lifeline of the business.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/from-the-boardroom-to-the-front-line-you-need-to-believe-that-the/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“Ariella was silent, and I reached out to take her hand, squeezing as if it were a lifeline, holding me to sanity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-kagawa/ariella-was-silent-and-i-reached-out-to-take-her-hand-squeezing-as-if/) [Julie Kagawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-kagawa/) > [I want to be very careful about judging and how much to generalize about the use of media being pathological. For some people, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/i-want-to-be-very-careful-about-judging-and-how-much-to-generalize/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [People who won't help others in trouble "because they got into trouble through their own fault" would probably not throw a lifeline to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/people-who-won-t-help-others-in-trouble-because-they-got-into-trouble/) [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) > [DACA is a lifeline for individuals who have grown up in the U.S. but who lack immigration papers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-gutierrez/daca-is-a-lifeline-for-individuals-who-have-grown-up-in-the-u-s-but/) [Luis Gutierrez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-gutierrez/) > [my love isn't a weapon, it's a lifeline, reach out and take hold, and don't let go!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/my-love-isn-t-a-weapon-it-s-a-lifeline-reach-out-and-take-hold-and/) [Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/) > [“I remember Chap saying Jesus was a lifeline. And I needed one. Had needed one for a long time, I guess. So I prayed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-r-patch/i-remember-chap-saying-jesus-was-a-lifeline-and-i-needed-one-had/) [Jessica R. Patch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-r-patch/) > [In China, where you can be arrested and imprisoned for your faith, getting together with other Christians is a lifeline and you'll risk anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/in-china-where-you-can-be-arrested-and-imprisoned-for-your-faith/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [Unfortunately, Lifeline, known in some circles as the 'Obamaphone' program, is plagued by waste, fraud, and abuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajit-pai/unfortunately-lifeline-known-in-some-circles-as-the-obamaphone/) [Ajit Pai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajit-pai/) > [“For those living in a dark cave... sometimes all it takes is for someone to throw us a lifeline.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-r-lemieux/for-those-living-in-a-dark-cave-sometimes-all-it-takes-is-for-someone/) [Martin R. Lemieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-r-lemieux/) > [“When a lifeline comes, you don’t evaluate whether it’s the right one. You just grab for it, and hold on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandria-marzano-lesnevich/when-a-lifeline-comes-you-don-t-evaluate-whether-it-s-the-right-one/) [Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandria-marzano-lesnevich/) > [The Great Bailout is mostly over for the banks. But for those troubled behemoths of the nation's housing bust, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/the-great-bailout-is-mostly-over-for-the-banks-but-for-those-troubled/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) ## More by Jennifer E. Smith > [“He'd come back to her, it was true. He was the one to walk out of the woods and onto the beach, to cross…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/he-d-come-back-to-her-it-was-true-he-was-the-one-to-walk-out-of-the/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [“That's the thing about flying: You could talk to someone for hours and never even know his name, share your deepest secrets and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/that-s-the-thing-about-flying-you-could-talk-to-someone-for-hours-and/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [“Now Hadley presses her forehead against the window of the taxi and once again finds herself smiling at the thought of him. He's like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/now-hadley-presses-her-forehead-against-the-window-of-the-taxi-and/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [“He's looking at her like she's the answer to some sort of riddle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/he-s-looking-at-her-like-she-s-the-answer-to-some-sort-of-riddle/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [“Well," he begins, sitting up a bit taller, "I was being quite gallant, actually, and offered to help with her suitcase. And then we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/well-he-begins-sitting-up-a-bit-taller-i-was-being-quite-gallant/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [“The only time it doesn't help to imagine the sky is when you're thirty thousand feet in the air with nowhere to go but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/the-only-time-it-doesn-t-help-to-imagine-the-sky-is-when-you-re/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [“Emma knew that she'd always been on the wrong side of the line that separated her from her parents, from Patrick and Annie and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/emma-knew-that-she-d-always-been-on-the-wrong-side-of-the-line-that/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [“Hadley knows this isn’t some Disney movie. Her parents aren’t ever getting back together”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/hadley-knows-this-isn-t-some-disney-movie-her-parents-aren-t-ever/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [“If you were to draw a map of the two of them, of where they started out and where they would both end up,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/if-you-were-to-draw-a-map-of-the-two-of-them-of-where-they-started/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [“She wishes that it were true, all of it. That it were more than just a story. That is was their story.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/she-wishes-that-it-were-true-all-of-it-that-it-were-more-than-just-a/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [“There's a formula for how long it takes to get over someone, that it's half as long as the time you've been together.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/there-s-a-formula-for-how-long-it-takes-to-get-over-someone-that-it-s/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [“True," he says. "But I'm able to supplement it with my wealth of British intelligence and charm." "Right," Hadley says. "Charm. When do I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/true-he-says-but-i-m-able-to-supplement-it-with-my-wealth-of-british/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [“You can't know the answer until you ask the question.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/you-can-t-know-the-answer-until-you-ask-the-question/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [“Chemistry wasn't something you could just create anyway; it was either there or it wasn't.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/chemistry-wasn-t-something-you-could-just-create-anyway-it-was-either/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [“Cheerfulness and contentment are great beautifiers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/cheerfulness-and-contentment-are-great-beautifiers/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) [Explore all 230 Jennifer E. Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) ## More Drown quotes > [He tried to drown his troubles but they knew how to swim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/he-tried-to-drown-his-troubles-but-they-knew-how-to-swim/) [Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) > [“Let me love you, girl who came from the sea. Let us swim to the bottom of the ocean where we can be anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolee-dean/let-me-love-you-girl-who-came-from-the-sea-let-us-swim-to-the-bottom/) [Carolee Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolee-dean/) > [As all of us are only too aware, the loud and frantic voices of the outer world easily drown out the small, still loving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/as-all-of-us-are-only-too-aware-the-loud-and-frantic-voices-of-the/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [“Families – can’t live with them – can’t take them down to the river and drown them all in sacks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-r-green/families-can-t-live-with-them-can-t-take-them-down-to-the-river-and/) [Simon R. Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-r-green/) > [“It's not just like that. I can't just swim away." "Why not?" "I'm afraid I'll drown." He looks up and gives the world's smallest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-moskowitz/it-s-not-just-like-that-i-can-t-just-swim-away-why-not-i-m-afraid-i/) [Hannah Moskowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-moskowitz/) > [There are many ways to drown, only the most obvious wave their arms as they're going under.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-flynn/there-are-many-ways-to-drown-only-the-most-obvious-wave-their-arms-as/) [Nick Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-flynn/) > [Drink today, and drown all sorrow; you shall perhaps not do tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fletcher/drink-today-and-drown-all-sorrow-you-shall-perhaps-not-do-tomorrow/) [John Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fletcher/) > [You don't get there the easy way. If you feel sorry for yourself, and you let yourself go down, you will drown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-reynolds/you-don-t-get-there-the-easy-way-if-you-feel-sorry-for-yourself-and/) [Debbie Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-reynolds/) > [Once you get into this great stream of history you can't get out. You can drown. Or you can be pulled ashore by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/once-you-get-into-this-great-stream-of-history-you-can-t-get-out-you/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [“You're back where you swore yourself you wouldn't be The familiar shackles you can't tell from your own skin Your head's under water when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanhita-baruah/you-re-back-where-you-swore-yourself-you-wouldn-t-be-the-familiar/) [Sanhita Baruah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanhita-baruah/) > [“If I fall in, I’m going to drown. The weights upon me are too heavy to stay afloat. My only option is to sink.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/if-i-fall-in-i-m-going-to-drown-the-weights-upon-me-are-too-heavy-to/) [Katie McGarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgarry/) > [I lead horses to water and if they don't drink, then I drown them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-brown/i-lead-horses-to-water-and-if-they-don-t-drink-then-i-drown-them/) [Mike Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-brown/) > [There is more than one good way to drown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/there-is-more-than-one-good-way-to-drown/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [“He couldn't remember the last time human hands had willingly touched him. Not true. Miranda had. She had touched him as if he were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-callihan/he-couldn-t-remember-the-last-time-human-hands-had-willingly-touched/) [Kristen Callihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-callihan/) > [“Because at night when others are sleeping, I drown myself in poetry.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/because-at-night-when-others-are-sleeping-i-drown-myself-in-poetry/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) Browse all 567 Drown quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He hadn't realized how much it could mean, having someone to talk to like that; he hadn't realized that it could be a kind of lifeline, and that without it, there would be nobody to save you if you started to drown.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jennifer E. 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