Getting married Quote by Jhumpa Lahiri
““Be sure to keep my ruby choker and the pearl and emerald set for the person you will marry,” she said during one of these walks. “I’m not planning on getting married any time soon,” I told her, and she said that she wished she could say the same for dying. Ultimately, I disobeyed her. After she was gone I was unable to open up and examine the contents of all those flat red boxes she’d kept hidden in a suitcase on her closet shelf, never mind set something aside for the sake of my future happiness.””
About This Quote
Source Short Story: “The Bridegroom” (fictional excerpt), 2020
The speaker promises to keep cherished items for a future spouse, yet reveals personal reluctance toward marriage and unresolved grief.
In simple terms: Promises about future love clash with present doubts and loss.
Key Takeaway
Align promises with personal readiness.
Themes
marriage
grief
promise
memory
future planning
Mood
melancholic
thoughtful
Type
narrative
reflective
When to use this quote
- family heirlooms
- relationship planning
- grief processing
Key Concepts
psychology of attachment
cultural expectations
Questions to Reflect On
- What does keeping the items symbolize?
- How do you reconcile past promises with current feelings?
A Different Perspective
Promises may bind you to expectations you cannot fulfill.
