--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't know the first thing about…" description: "\"I don't know the first thing about holding together a family, especially one that resembles an heirloom vase, shattered but glued back together for its..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f74/jodi-picoult-45_back-together_i-don-t-know-the-first-thing-about-holdi_2834664.jpg" --- # I don't know the first thing about holding together a… ![“I don't know the first thing about holding together a family, especially one that resembles an heirloom vase, shattered but glued back together for its beauty, and no one mentions that you can see the cracks as plain as day.” quote by Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f74/jodi-picoult-45_back-together_i-don-t-know-the-first-thing-about-holdi_2834664.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f74/jodi-picoult-45_back-together_i-don-t-know-the-first-thing-about-holdi_2834664.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f74/jodi-picoult-45_back-together_i-don-t-know-the-first-thing-about-holdi_2834664.jpg) > “I don't know the first thing about holding together a family, especially one that resembles an heirloom vase, shattered but glued back together for its beauty, and no one mentions that you can see the cracks as plain as day.” [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Family unity resembles a fragile vase, beautiful despite cracks that are visible to all. **In simple terms:** Family is beautiful even when imperfect. Key Takeaway Accept and cherish imperfections. Themes family fragility beauty healing relationships Mood hopeful reflective Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - family gatherings - counseling - generational stories Key Concepts metaphor of resilience psychology of trauma Questions to Reflect On - How do visible flaws affect family dynamics? - What can we learn from embracing imperfections? A Different Perspective Denial of cracks can hinder healing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Heirlooms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heirlooms/) ## Related quotes > [My mother has always been the social glue holding the family together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-kardashian/my-mother-has-always-been-the-social-glue-holding-the-family-together/) [Kim Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-kardashian/) > [Mothers are like glue. Even when you can't see them, they're still holding the family together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/mothers-are-like-glue-even-when-you-can-t-see-them-they-re-still/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Once again Erak bellowed with laughter. "Your master here went nearly the same shade of green as his cloak," he told Will. Halt raised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flanagan/once-again-erak-bellowed-with-laughter-your-master-here-went-nearly/) [John Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flanagan/) > [We are mortgaging ourselves to foreigners on a scale that would make George Washington cry. Every day - every single day - we borrow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-stein/we-are-mortgaging-ourselves-to-foreigners-on-a-scale-that-would-make/) [Ben Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-stein/) > [My message is use grass-fed beef, use heirloom pork varieties, use organic chickens, wait until wild salmon or wild seafood are in season, smoke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-raichlen/my-message-is-use-grass-fed-beef-use-heirloom-pork-varieties-use/) [Steven Raichlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-raichlen/) > [I guess I always knew there was something wrong with me, but I thought it was because of my father, or my mother, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-guess-i-always-knew-there-was-something-wrong-with-me-but-i-thought/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [GMO agriculture will probably save the world in this century. But in the developed world, where few people are haunted by the specter of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annalee-newitz/gmo-agriculture-will-probably-save-the-world-in-this-century-but-in/) [Annalee Newitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annalee-newitz/) > [Persecution is the heirloom of the church, and the ensign of the elect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/persecution-is-the-heirloom-of-the-church-and-the-ensign-of-the-elect/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [“She loved old things. The brown-brick place was a survivor of the 1907 earthquake and fire, and proudly bore a plaque from the historical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-wiggs/she-loved-old-things-the-brown-brick-place-was-a-survivor-of-the-1907/) [Susan Wiggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-wiggs/) > [In many respects, designing heirloom products means saying no to designing consumer crap that you know will not last very long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-griffith/in-many-respects-designing-heirloom-products-means-saying-no-to/) [Saul Griffith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-griffith/) > [Yes, your jewelry choices make a difference. When you invest in ethical, heirloom-quality jewelry, you're also investing in the future. Your purchase supports a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-helene/yes-your-jewelry-choices-make-a-difference-when-you-invest-in-ethical/) [Zoe Helene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-helene/) > [Antique things have an appreciation and worth. Something can be old, but it can be timeless; therefore, it becomes an antique. If this antique…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cee-lo-green/antique-things-have-an-appreciation-and-worth-something-can-be-old/) [Cee Lo Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cee-lo-green/) > [“But, of course, a thing is just a thing. And so, slipping his sister’s scissors into his pocket, the Count looked once more at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amor-towles/but-of-course-a-thing-is-just-a-thing-and-so-slipping-his-sister-s/) [Amor Towles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amor-towles/) > [Anyone may have diamonds: an heirloom is an ornament of quite a different kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-aston/anyone-may-have-diamonds-an-heirloom-is-an-ornament-of-quite-a/) [Elizabeth Aston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-aston/) > [Freedom is not just something with which we are born; it is something we achieve. America did not receive a perpetual endowment of freedom;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/freedom-is-not-just-something-with-which-we-are-born-it-is-something/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) ## More by Jodi Picoult > [You get through it, you just never get over it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/you-get-through-it-you-just-never-get-over-it/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“Let me guess," Eric says, "You never meant for it to happen." "Hell, yes, I did. I've wanted her since you two started dating."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/let-me-guess-eric-says-you-never-meant-for-it-to-happen-hell-yes-i/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“It’s the difference between dancing along the eggshell crust of acquaintance and diving into the messy center of a relationship.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/it-s-the-difference-between-dancing-along-the-eggshell-crust-of/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [Because hate's just the flip side of love. Like heads and tails on a dime. If you don't know what it feels like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/because-hate-s-just-the-flip-side-of-love-like-heads-and-tails-on-a/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [Some women are meant to change the world, while others are meant to hold it together. And then there are those of us who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/some-women-are-meant-to-change-the-world-while-others-are-meant-to/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [I love feeling loved. I don't love knowing that I will always come in second place. I love the fact that at least sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/i-love-feeling-loved-i-don-t-love-knowing-that-i-will-always-come-in/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“Music is the language of memory”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/music-is-the-language-of-memory/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [But there is a different between mending someone who's broken and finding someone who makes you complete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/but-there-is-a-different-between-mending-someone-who-s-broken-and/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“sometimes words are not big enough to contain all the feelings you are trying to pour into them. My”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/sometimes-words-are-not-big-enough-to-contain-all-the-feelings-you/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“The age wasn't as important as the milestones.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/the-age-wasn-t-as-important-as-the-milestones/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [The night is falling down around us. Meteors rain like fireworks, quick rips in the seam of the dark... Every second, another streak of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/the-night-is-falling-down-around-us-meteors-rain-like-fireworks-quick/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“When she had packed all the artifacts that made up their personal history into liquor store boxes, the house became strictly a feminine place.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/when-she-had-packed-all-the-artifacts-that-made-up-their-personal/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“Maybe who we are isn't so much about what we do, but rather what we're capable of when we least expect it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/maybe-who-we-are-isn-t-so-much-about-what-we-do-but-rather-what-we-re/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“Here's what I hadn't realized : the mother you haven't seen for almost 36 years isn't your mother. She is a stranger. Sharing DNA…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/here-s-what-i-hadn-t-realized-the-mother-you-haven-t-seen-for-almost/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [My brother believed in all sorts of mythical creatures: pixies, dragons, werewolves, honest men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/my-brother-believed-in-all-sorts-of-mythical-creatures-pixies-dragons/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) [Explore all 2,062 Jodi Picoult quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) ## More Back together quotes > [Broken by hardships, disappointments and tragedy, people can become discouraged and cynical. But lives can also be mended. Put back together well, they won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-goodier/broken-by-hardships-disappointments-and-tragedy-people-can-become/) [Steve Goodier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-goodier/) > [Everybody was on the same page. Nobody has really gone out there on a different musical journey. When we got back together again, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everybody-was-on-the-same-page-nobody-has-really-gone-out-there-on-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [People are always like, Why did you and husband Carey Hart get back together? Well, we weren't done. And now we have Willow, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pink/people-are-always-like-why-did-you-and-husband-carey-hart-get-back/) [Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pink/) > [I feel like a big faker because I've been putting my life back together, and nobody knows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/i-feel-like-a-big-faker-because-i-ve-been-putting-my-life-back/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [There are people who haven't faced the reality of what has gone on in Iraq. They still think that the old central state is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-w-galbraith/there-are-people-who-haven-t-faced-the-reality-of-what-has-gone-on-in/) Peter W. Galbraith > [It's really weird to be in more than one franchise because an actor's life is so nomadic, and so it's a real privilege to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/it-s-really-weird-to-be-in-more-than-one-franchise-because-an-actor-s/) [John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/) > [You can usually tell when a couple becomes centered on each other because they are forever breaking up and getting back together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-covey/you-can-usually-tell-when-a-couple-becomes-centered-on-each-other/) [Sean Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-covey/) > [It's a gamble. A band like Kiss, a lot of those are our audience but we don't do as much make-up. Alice would have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-a-gamble-a-band-like-kiss-a-lot-of-those-are-our-audience-but-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For the world is broken, sundered, busted down the middle, self ripped from self and man pasted back together as mythical monster, half angel,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walker-percy/for-the-world-is-broken-sundered-busted-down-the-middle-self-ripped/) [Walker Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walker-percy/) > [I stared hard, trying to find a pattern. Thinking if I kept looking hard enough, maybe the pieces of the world would fit back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/i-stared-hard-trying-to-find-a-pattern-thinking-if-i-kept-looking/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) > [ \[In Bolivia\] We want to overcome our historical problems with Chile. The sea has divided us and the sea must bring us back together… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evo-morales/in-bolivia-we-want-to-overcome-our-historical-problems-with-chile-the/) [Evo Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evo-morales/) > [All I know is that I have two choices – stay wrapped in blankets and get on with dying, or get the list back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-downham/all-i-know-is-that-i-have-two-choices-stay-wrapped-in-blankets-and/) [Jenny Downham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-downham/) > [Here are the things I know for sure: When you think you’re right, you are most likely wrong. Things that break—be they bones, hearts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/here-are-the-things-i-know-for-sure-when-you-think-you-re-right-you/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [(T)he world is broken up into pieces, and...it's up to everyone to help put it all back together. It's about recognizing the spark of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/t-he-world-is-broken-up-into-pieces-and-it-s-up-to-everyone-to-help/) [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) > [See, that's the thing about second chances. It's two people that are there for each other and support each other and care about each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-kelly/see-that-s-the-thing-about-second-chances-it-s-two-people-that-are/) [Jacqueline Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-kelly/) Browse all 229 Back together quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't know the first thing about holding together a family, especially one that resembles an heirloom vase, shattered but glued back together for its beauty, and no one mentions that you can see the cracks as plain as day.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jodi Picoult" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/i-don-t-know-the-first-thing-about-holding-together-a-family/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Back together" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/i-don-t-know-the-first-thing-about-holding-together-a-family/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f74/jodi-picoult-45_back-together_i-don-t-know-the-first-thing-about-holdi_2834664.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f74/jodi-picoult-45_back-together_i-don-t-know-the-first-thing-about-holdi_2834664.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f74/jodi-picoult-45_back-together_i-don-t-know-the-first-thing-about-holdi_2834664.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I don't know the first thing about holding together a family, especially one that resembles an heirloom…” — Jodi Picoult", "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": "Jodi Picoult", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I don't know the first thing...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/i-don-t-know-the-first-thing-about-holding-together-a-family/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/i-don-t-know-the-first-thing-about-holding-together-a-family/#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 } } ] } ```