--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was one thing to count on someone who…" description: "\"“It was one thing to count on someone who was dead and gone, to rely on an idea or a memory, a personal with no real influence over her life outside of..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d51/jennifer-e-smith-1454_dead-and-gone_it-was-one-thing-to-count-on-someone-who_2209104.jpg" --- # It was one thing to count on someone who was dead and… ![“It was one thing to count on someone who was dead and gone, to rely on an idea or a memory, a personal with no real influence over her life outside of her imagination. But it was another thing entirely to have someone actually want to be there for you, unfailingly and unquestioningly, someone who…” quote by Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d51/jennifer-e-smith-1454_dead-and-gone_it-was-one-thing-to-count-on-someone-who_2209104.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d51/jennifer-e-smith-1454_dead-and-gone_it-was-one-thing-to-count-on-someone-who_2209104.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d51/jennifer-e-smith-1454_dead-and-gone_it-was-one-thing-to-count-on-someone-who_2209104.jpg) > ““It was one thing to count on someone who was dead and gone, to rely on an idea or a memory, a personal with no real influence over her life outside of her imagination. But it was another thing entirely to have someone actually want to be there for you, unfailingly and unquestioningly, someone who listened carefully and told you the truth and waited patiently until you were ready to be there for them, too.”” [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. True support comes from a reliable, caring person who offers honest listening and patience, unlike distant memories or abstract ideas. **In simple terms:** Real people give reliable, honest help. Key Takeaway Seek genuine, dependable relationships. Themes trust support authenticity relationships Mood hopeful reflective Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - friendship - romantic partnership - mental health support - caregiving Key Concepts empathy active listening mutual care Questions to Reflect On - Who can you rely on truly? - How do you reciprocate unwavering support? A Different Perspective People may not always be able to meet expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dead and gone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dead-and-gone/) [Forget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forget/) [Gone Rely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gone-rely-4885042/) [Memory Personal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory-personal-494784/) [Rely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rely/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth Waited](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-waited-3390506/) [Waited](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waited/) ## Related quotes > [“Of everyone on this ship, even the frozen bodies of my parents, Elder's the only one who handed me truth and waited for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-revis/of-everyone-on-this-ship-even-the-frozen-bodies-of-my-parents-elder-s/) [Beth Revis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-revis/) > [Memory is the personal journalism of the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-schickel/memory-is-the-personal-journalism-of-the-soul/) [Richard Schickel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-schickel/) > [My films are not really constructed films, as much as remembered films. I've got this desire to catch traces of memory, but it's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-rohrwacher/my-films-are-not-really-constructed-films-as-much-as-remembered-films/) [Alice Rohrwacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-rohrwacher/) > [My work is strongly rooted in place and memory, in personal, formative experiences that took shape within very different environments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rockwell/my-work-is-strongly-rooted-in-place-and-memory-in-personal-formative/) [David Rockwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rockwell/) > [“Memory, personal and historical, is often accompanied by moralistic sentiment. Nostalgia is an act of escapism and self-indulgence, but to forget the past is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-glinter/memory-personal-and-historical-is-often-accompanied-by-moralistic/) [Ezra Glinter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-glinter/) > [“wouldn’t that person be even more amazing if, instead of telling the time, he or she built a clock that could tell the time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-collins/wouldn-t-that-person-be-even-more-amazing-if-instead-of-telling-the/) [Jim Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-collins/) > [“I don't want to see no dead body. Willie ain't in there. She put her walkin' shoes on. She gone to see the Lord.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruta-sepetys/i-don-t-want-to-see-no-dead-body-willie-ain-t-in-there-she-put-her/) [Ruta Sepetys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruta-sepetys/) > [ “\[On writing more Sherlock Holmes stories.\] ‘I don’t care whether you do or not,’ said Bram. ‘But you will, eventually. He’s yours, till death… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-moore/on-writing-more-sherlock-holmes-stories-i-don-t-care-whether-you-do/) [Graham Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-moore/) > [“They all seem infected with a vivaciousness that isn't common in our compound, and there are more smiles on their faces than I've ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-khoury/they-all-seem-infected-with-a-vivaciousness-that-isn-t-common-in-our/) [Jessica Khoury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-khoury/) > [“When I got there it was all still and Sunday-like, and hot and sunshiny - the hands was gone to the fields; and there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/when-i-got-there-it-was-all-still-and-sunday-like-and-hot-and/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“That girl, dead and gone, her spirit trapped forever just inside town limits—she'd come from someplace, was going somewhere. Until destiny had stepped into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-rosenfield/that-girl-dead-and-gone-her-spirit-trapped-forever-just-inside-town/) [Kat Rosenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-rosenfield/) > [“A thousand years or more ago, When I was newly sewn, There lived four wizards of renown, Whose name are still well-known: Bold Gryffindor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jk-rowling/a-thousand-years-or-more-ago-when-i-was-newly-sewn-there-lived-four/) [JK Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jk-rowling/) > [The women of today are the thoughts of their mothers and grandmothers, embodied and made alive. They are active, capable, determined and bound to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/the-women-of-today-are-the-thoughts-of-their-mothers-and-grandmothers/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [“Sookie: "Eric, when I'm back to being myself, I'm going to nail your ass for putting me in this position of being pledged to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/sookie-eric-when-i-m-back-to-being-myself-i-m-going-to-nail-your-ass/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [Hugging trees has a calming effect on me. I'm talking about enormous trees that will be there when we are all dead and gone.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-adams/hugging-trees-has-a-calming-effect-on-me-i-m-talking-about-enormous/) [Gerry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-adams/) ## 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 Dead and gone quotes > [Hugging trees has a calming effect on me. I'm talking about enormous trees that will be there when we are all dead and gone.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-adams/hugging-trees-has-a-calming-effect-on-me-i-m-talking-about-enormous/) [Gerry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-adams/) > [“Sookie: "Eric, when I'm back to being myself, I'm going to nail your ass for putting me in this position of being pledged to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/sookie-eric-when-i-m-back-to-being-myself-i-m-going-to-nail-your-ass/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [The women of today are the thoughts of their mothers and grandmothers, embodied and made alive. They are active, capable, determined and bound to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/the-women-of-today-are-the-thoughts-of-their-mothers-and-grandmothers/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [“A thousand years or more ago, When I was newly sewn, There lived four wizards of renown, Whose name are still well-known: Bold Gryffindor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jk-rowling/a-thousand-years-or-more-ago-when-i-was-newly-sewn-there-lived-four/) [JK Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jk-rowling/) > [“That girl, dead and gone, her spirit trapped forever just inside town limits—she'd come from someplace, was going somewhere. Until destiny had stepped into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-rosenfield/that-girl-dead-and-gone-her-spirit-trapped-forever-just-inside-town/) [Kat Rosenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-rosenfield/) > [“When I got there it was all still and Sunday-like, and hot and sunshiny - the hands was gone to the fields; and there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/when-i-got-there-it-was-all-still-and-sunday-like-and-hot-and/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“They all seem infected with a vivaciousness that isn't common in our compound, and there are more smiles on their faces than I've ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-khoury/they-all-seem-infected-with-a-vivaciousness-that-isn-t-common-in-our/) [Jessica Khoury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-khoury/) > [ “\[On writing more Sherlock Holmes stories.\] ‘I don’t care whether you do or not,’ said Bram. ‘But you will, eventually. He’s yours, till death… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-moore/on-writing-more-sherlock-holmes-stories-i-don-t-care-whether-you-do/) [Graham Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-moore/) > [“I don't want to see no dead body. Willie ain't in there. She put her walkin' shoes on. She gone to see the Lord.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruta-sepetys/i-don-t-want-to-see-no-dead-body-willie-ain-t-in-there-she-put-her/) [Ruta Sepetys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruta-sepetys/) > [“wouldn’t that person be even more amazing if, instead of telling the time, he or she built a clock that could tell the time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-collins/wouldn-t-that-person-be-even-more-amazing-if-instead-of-telling-the/) [Jim Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-collins/) > [All I know is that we are loaded down with old and stale stuff - habits, customs, old attitudes already dead and gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelangelo-antonioni/all-i-know-is-that-we-are-loaded-down-with-old-and-stale-stuff-habits/) [Michelangelo Antonioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelangelo-antonioni/) > [“As they were speaking, a dog that had been lying asleep raised his head and pricked up his ears. This was Argos, whom Odysseus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/as-they-were-speaking-a-dog-that-had-been-lying-asleep-raised-his/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [(...) We are standing in the flames reaching for the fight until the end; yesterday is dead and gone. Our voice will be heard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-gossow/we-are-standing-in-the-flames-reaching-for-the-fight-until-the-end/) [Angela Gossow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-gossow/) > [“If you’re going to make up stories about miracles and events that you are claiming really happened, you have to wait until all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-clark/if-you-re-going-to-make-up-stories-about-miracles-and-events-that-you/) [Mark Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-clark/) > [at first, when we truly love someone, our greatest fear is that the loved one will stop loving us. what we should fear and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-david-roberts/at-first-when-we-truly-love-someone-our-greatest-fear-is-that-the/) [Gregory David Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-david-roberts/) [Browse all 128 Dead and gone quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dead-and-gone/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It was one thing to count on someone who was dead and gone, to rely on an idea or a memory, a personal with no real influence over her life outside of her imagination. 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