--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is not, as somebody once wrote, the…" description: "\"It is not, as somebody once wrote, the smell of corn bread that calls us back from death; it is the lights and signs of love and friendship.\" — John Ch..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf4/john-cheever-3301_bread_it-is-not-as-somebody-once-wrote-the-sme_1316048.jpg" --- # It is not, as somebody once wrote, the smell of corn bread… ![“It is not, as somebody once wrote, the smell of corn bread that calls us back from death; it is the lights and signs of love and friendship.” quote by John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf4/john-cheever-3301_bread_it-is-not-as-somebody-once-wrote-the-sme_1316048.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf4/john-cheever-3301_bread_it-is-not-as-somebody-once-wrote-the-sme_1316048.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf4/john-cheever-3301_bread_it-is-not-as-somebody-once-wrote-the-sme_1316048.jpg) > “It is not, as somebody once wrote, the smell of corn bread that calls us back from death; it is the lights and signs of love and friendship.” [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life’s true sustenance comes from love and friendship, not material comforts. **In simple terms:** Love and friendship keep us alive. Key Takeaway Cherish relationships over comforts. Themes friendship love meaning purpose Mood reflective warm Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - grief - loneliness - family gatherings - end‑of‑life care Key Concepts human connection emotional sustenance Questions to Reflect On - What relationships give you strength? - How do you nurture love daily? A Different Perspective Material comforts cannot replace emotional bonds. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bread](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bread/) [Corn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corn/) [Corn Bread](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corn-bread-3966610/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friend/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love and friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-and-friendship/) [Love friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-friendship/) [Signs Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/signs-love-1139400/) [Signs of love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/signs-of-love/) [Smell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smell/) [Smell Corn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smell-corn-4369866/) ## Related quotes > [I love carbs. 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People crave both, mistaking alliance for friendship, lust for love, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynda-obst/love-and-friendship-two-of-life-s-abiding-rewards-are-endangered/) [Lynda Obst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynda-obst/) > [“In the end, it’s true, we each must die alone, but the love and friendship we share with one another show that we do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-bushkin/in-the-end-it-s-true-we-each-must-die-alone-but-the-love-and/) [Henry Bushkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-bushkin/) ## More by John Cheever > [Only the opium eater truly understands the pain of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/only-the-opium-eater-truly-understands-the-pain-of-death/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [The poet or storyteller who feels that he is competing with a superb double play in the World Series is a lost man. 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The most we can do is exploit our memories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/one-would-never-have-guessed-that-the-world-had-such-a-capacity-for/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [“His stepmother -wearing a nightgown for comfort and a flowered hat for looks- had spent her days sitting in their parlor window in Baltimore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/his-stepmother-wearing-a-nightgown-for-comfort-and-a-flowered-hat-for/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [Fear tastes like a rusty knife and do not let her into your house. Courage tastes of blood. Stand up straight. Admire the world.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/fear-tastes-like-a-rusty-knife-and-do-not-let-her-into-your-house/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [I dream that my face appears on a postage stamp.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/i-dream-that-my-face-appears-on-a-postage-stamp/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [Wisdom is the knowledge of good and evil, not the strength to choose between the two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/wisdom-is-the-knowledge-of-good-and-evil-not-the-strength-to-choose/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [“There was some faint coughing, a moan, and then a man spoke. "Are you all right, darling?" he asked. 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However, if a sheep stole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-harding/in-the-olden-days-in-england-you-could-be-hung-for-stealing-a-sheep/) [Mike Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-harding/) > [I don't eat meat - chicken, fish, none of that. I eat a lot of vegetable sandwiches, like lettuce, tomatoes, sprouts, cucumbers, whatever I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gza/i-don-t-eat-meat-chicken-fish-none-of-that-i-eat-a-lot-of-vegetable/) [Gza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gza/) > [“We should remark the grace and fascination that there is even in the incidentals of Nature's processes.. 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We do not betray Marxism - Leninism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enver-hoxha/even-if-we-have-to-go-without-bread-we-albanians-do-not-violate/) [Enver Hoxha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enver-hoxha/) > [Man preys on man; and you mourn for the idle tapestry that decorated a gothic pillar, and the dronish bell that summoned the fat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft/man-preys-on-man-and-you-mourn-for-the-idle-tapestry-that-decorated-a/) [Mary Wollstonecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft/) > [“Nine times out of ten, people pick the wrong food. 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