--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The first time someone I loved left me…" description: "\"The first time someone I loved left me behind...I didn't know how my family would balance. We had been such a sturdy little end table, four solid legs...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca6/jodi-picoult-45_balance_the-first-time-someone-i-loved-left-me-b_346162.jpg" --- # The first time someone I loved left me behind...I didn't… ![“The first time someone I loved left me behind...I didn't know how my family would balance. We had been such a sturdy little end table, four solid legs. I was sure we would now be off-kilter, always unstable. Until one day I looked more closely, and realized that we had simply become a stool.” quote by Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca6/jodi-picoult-45_balance_the-first-time-someone-i-loved-left-me-b_346162.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca6/jodi-picoult-45_balance_the-first-time-someone-i-loved-left-me-b_346162.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca6/jodi-picoult-45_balance_the-first-time-someone-i-loved-left-me-b_346162.jpg) > “The first time someone I loved left me behind...I didn't know how my family would balance. We had been such a sturdy little end table, four solid legs. I was sure we would now be off-kilter, always unstable. Until one day I looked more closely, and realized that we had simply become a stool.” [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. Loss of a loved one destabilizes life, but adaptation transforms the situation into a new, functional form. **In simple terms:** Loss destabilizes, but we adapt and become functional again. Key Takeaway Adapt and find new balance after loss. Themes loss adaptation resilience Mood somber hopeful Type emotional inspirational When to use this quote - bereavement - family crisis - identity shift Key Concepts grief family dynamics personal growth Questions to Reflect On - How do you recognize new forms of stability? - What supports help in reshaping identity after loss? A Different Perspective Recovery may feel forced or incomplete without proper support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Stool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stool/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Lysta, perhaps you could stand at the end of the table. That seat is reserved for Lord Torryn’s Heir, and unless this meeting is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-loscig/lysta-perhaps-you-could-stand-at-the-end-of-the-table-that-seat-is/) Lauren Loscig > [In front of the coffee tablethere is a neon-pink stump stool, which I bought because my friend Amanda Brooks told me that every house…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-santo-domingo/in-front-of-the-coffee-tablethere-is-a-neon-pink-stump-stool-which-i/) [Lauren Santo Domingo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-santo-domingo/) > [Performing on a stool, we've got a sight to make you drool, seven virgins and a mule, keep it cool, keep it cool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/performing-on-a-stool-we-ve-got-a-sight-to-make-you-drool-seven/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [For the best part of my childhood I visited the local library three or four times a week, hunching in the stacks on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/for-the-best-part-of-my-childhood-i-visited-the-local-library-three/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [I have a three-legged milk stool in my office perched on top of a cabinet. It is a great symbol for how to succeed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-h-miller/i-have-a-three-legged-milk-stool-in-my-office-perched-on-top-of-a/) Larry H. Miller > [When there's a piano to be moved, don't reach for the stool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/when-there-s-a-piano-to-be-moved-don-t-reach-for-the-stool/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [Even at my lowest I was sittin on my high stool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-budden/even-at-my-lowest-i-was-sittin-on-my-high-stool/) [Joe Budden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-budden/) > [Savor the throne, but don't mind the stool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-winwood/savor-the-throne-but-don-t-mind-the-stool/) [Steve Winwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-winwood/) > [To go where the King goes afoot (i.e. to the stool).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/to-go-where-the-king-goes-afoot-i-e-to-the-stool/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [Retirement security is often compared to a three-legged stool supported by Social Security, employer-provided pension funds, and private savings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sander-levin/retirement-security-is-often-compared-to-a-three-legged-stool/) [Sander Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sander-levin/) > [I don't need no stool and mike stand. I don't need all of that to be funny. I've been funny my whole life. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/i-don-t-need-no-stool-and-mike-stand-i-don-t-need-all-of-that-to-be/) [Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/) > [“Every word serves a purpose. It conveys an idea. And the idea behind words like feces, stool, or poop is exactly the same as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/every-word-serves-a-purpose-it-conveys-an-idea-and-the-idea-behind/) [Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/) > [I always wanted to be a comedic actor - that's what I wanted from the job - to do comedy and to create my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-devine/i-always-wanted-to-be-a-comedic-actor-that-s-what-i-wanted-from-the/) [Adam DeVine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-devine/) > [I never use a piano stool. I always use a drum stool. Because I feel that when you're down there, you're playing in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-cullum/i-never-use-a-piano-stool-i-always-use-a-drum-stool-because-i-feel/) [Jamie Cullum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-cullum/) > [“Sometimes I'm at stool all night." 507”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/sometimes-i-m-at-stool-all-night-507/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) ## 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 Balance quotes > [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) > [The bones of my architecture are very much related to the structure, to the physical fact of how a building can stand up; it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-bones-of-my-architecture-are-very-much-related-to-the-structure/) [Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/) [Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/) > [she got a reputation for an easy smile and a sharp tongue, and using one to balance the other, she seemed friendly but distant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/she-got-a-reputation-for-an-easy-smile-and-a-sharp-tongue-and-using/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [Life's unfairness is not irrevocable; we can help balance the scales for others, if not always for ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-humphrey/life-s-unfairness-is-not-irrevocable-we-can-help-balance-the-scales/) [Hubert H. Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-humphrey/) > [“We don't need to strive towards balance, we rather need to work on the obstacles that are preventing the natural flow of balance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-alebraheem/we-don-t-need-to-strive-towards-balance-we-rather-need-to-work-on-the/) [A.A. Alebraheem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-alebraheem/) > [I think that kind of balance comes with the process of growing together as a band, the Little Dragon. We love to write, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukimi-nagano/i-think-that-kind-of-balance-comes-with-the-process-of-growing/) [Yukimi Nagano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukimi-nagano/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [At times of recession, running a budget deficit is highly desirable. Once the economy begins to recover, you have to balance the budget. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/at-times-of-recession-running-a-budget-deficit-is-highly-desirable/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [It's my intention to make something stand outside the realm of album art, but it also feels comfortable to me to be in it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/it-s-my-intention-to-make-something-stand-outside-the-realm-of-album/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) > [Once you've gotten your money in balance, you know how much you have to spend on things that are just fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/once-you-ve-gotten-your-money-in-balance-you-know-how-much-you-have/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [I never understood how much running changes your life. I'm now obsessed. When not trying to beat my personal best, I'm talking to other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/i-never-understood-how-much-running-changes-your-life-i-m-now/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) > [Whatever needed to be done, I need to know how to do it just as well as my wife. You know, for us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/whatever-needed-to-be-done-i-need-to-know-how-to-do-it-just-as-well/) [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) > [I don't think my parents would have let me go straight into acting full time when I was 12. I do like to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/i-don-t-think-my-parents-would-have-let-me-go-straight-into-acting/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [When it comes down to music, I have no balance. I am 100 percent. It is like full throttle. Five hundred miles an hour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yanni/when-it-comes-down-to-music-i-have-no-balance-i-am-100-percent-it-is/) [Yanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yanni/) [Browse all 5,166 Balance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The first time someone I loved left me behind...I didn't know how my family would balance. We had been such a sturdy little end table, four solid legs. I was sure we would now be off-kilter, always unstable. 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