Bulletin board Quote by Jim Shepard
““But this is the only account hand-copied and tacked to my bulletin board, the testimony of a Dutch pilot caught on shore near Anjer, a city now gone: 'The moment of greatest anguish was not the actual destruction of the wave. The worst part by far was afterwards, when I knew I was saved, and the receding flood carried back past me the bodies of friends and neighbors and family. And I remember clawing past other arms and legs as you might fight through a bramble. And I thought, 'The world is our relentless adversary, rarely outwitted, never tiring.' And I thought, 'I would give all these people's lives, once more, to see something so beautiful again.””
About This Quote
Source Short story: “The Flood,” published in The New Yorker, 2012
Survivors feel deeper pain from loss after being saved than from the disaster itself.
In simple terms: Saving can bring painful memories.
Key Takeaway
Acknowledge post‑survival grief.
Themes
grief
survival
memory
Mood
somber
contemplative
Type
narrative
philosophical
When to use this quote
- natural disaster relief
- war veterans
- personal loss
Key Concepts
trauma
post‑traumatic stress
Questions to Reflect On
- What lingering emotions arise after you survive a crisis?
- How can you support others coping with similar loss?
A Different Perspective
Healing may need professional support.
