--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He says when your grandmother died your…" description: "\"He says when your grandmother died your mother cried solidly for a week, solidly. She was crying with relief he says, it was like as if a door had been..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2aa/jon-mcgregor-16601_blessing_he-says-when-your-grandmother-died-your_1396823.jpg" --- # He says when your grandmother died your mother cried… ![“He says when your grandmother died your mother cried solidly for a week, solidly. She was crying with relief he says, it was like as if a door had been unlocked and she'd been let outside, she said to me I'm safe now. He waits, and he says this kid, when it's born, you mustn't ever let it think…” quote by Jon McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2aa/jon-mcgregor-16601_blessing_he-says-when-your-grandmother-died-your_1396823.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2aa/jon-mcgregor-16601_blessing_he-says-when-your-grandmother-died-your_1396823.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2aa/jon-mcgregor-16601_blessing_he-says-when-your-grandmother-died-your_1396823.jpg) > “He says when your grandmother died your mother cried solidly for a week, solidly. She was crying with relief he says, it was like as if a door had been unlocked and she'd been let outside, she said to me I'm safe now. He waits, and he says this kid, when it's born, you mustn't ever let it think it's anything other than a gift and a blessing, do you hear me?” [Jon McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-mcgregor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Grief can bring relief and a sense of safety, and new life should be seen as a gift. **In simple terms:** Grief may bring relief; treat new life as a blessing. Key Takeaway Embrace loss and cherish new beginnings. Themes grief relief new life gift blessing Mood empathetic hopeful Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - family loss - parenting - mental health support Key Concepts psychology existentialism Questions to Reflect On - What does safety feel like after loss? - How can you view challenges as gifts? A Different Perspective Relief may be temporary. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blessing/) [Cry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cry/) [Grandmother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grandmother/) [Grandmother Died](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grandmother-died/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Relief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relief/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Week](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/week/) ## Related quotes > [That awkward moment when a 10 year old kid says; When I was a kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-awkward-moment-when-a-10-year-old-kid-says-when-i-was-a-kid/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Nobody's cut out for this town," Shane said. "Nobody sane anyway." "Says the kid who came back." "Yeah, kind of proves my point.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/nobody-s-cut-out-for-this-town-shane-said-nobody-sane-anyway-says-the/) [Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/) > [“I cried for the little girl who lost her father but never had a mother. I cried for the girl who only wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-donovan/i-cried-for-the-little-girl-who-lost-her-father-but-never-had-a/) [Rebecca Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-donovan/) > [I remember when I watched 'Hellraiser' with my mother. She cried when she saw my name in the opening credits, and I had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/i-remember-when-i-watched-hellraiser-with-my-mother-she-cried-when/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [“No, sure, my lord, my mother cried, but then there was a star danced, and under that was I born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/no-sure-my-lord-my-mother-cried-but-then-there-was-a-star-danced-and/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“I wanted to tell her how that praise had made me feel, how starved I’d felt for any kind of attention, that I’d begun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tj-klune/i-wanted-to-tell-her-how-that-praise-had-made-me-feel-how-starved-i-d/) [TJ Klune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tj-klune/) > [“...I met a reverend mother once who cried...ah, it's all so sad' - 'What did she cry about?' - 'I don't know, after talking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-met-a-reverend-mother-once-who-cried-ah-it-s-all-so-sad-what-did/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [Right after I graduated, my girlfriend, who I had been going out with for five years, dumped me, and my grandmother died.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-gordon/right-after-i-graduated-my-girlfriend-who-i-had-been-going-out-with/) [Mike Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-gordon/) > [My grandmother died when my mother was just 11 years old, and consequently, my mother never learned how to cook particularly well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jami-attenberg/my-grandmother-died-when-my-mother-was-just-11-years-old-and/) [Jami Attenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jami-attenberg/) > [What I saw when I was a child was my father who was a pilot, and because of circumstances was thrown into the political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rahul-gandhi/what-i-saw-when-i-was-a-child-was-my-father-who-was-a-pilot-and/) [Rahul Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rahul-gandhi/) > [My grandmother died in 1991 and I was born in '86. We only met once, but I didn't speak English and she didn't speak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oona-chaplin/my-grandmother-died-in-1991-and-i-was-born-in-86-we-only-met-once-but/) [Oona Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oona-chaplin/) > [We started the family Bible after slavery was abolished. My great-grandmother remembered the Bible being started, which meant that she was a slave as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-gossett-jr/we-started-the-family-bible-after-slavery-was-abolished-my-great/) [Louis Gossett, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-gossett-jr/) > [I remember the words of my grandmother who died at 102. I remember my great mother, Grand Brika, who died at the age of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kani/i-remember-the-words-of-my-grandmother-who-died-at-102-i-remember-my/) [John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kani/) > [Through my grandmother's stories always life moved, moved heroically toward an end. Nobody ever cried in my grandmother's stories. They worked, or schemed, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/langston-hughes/through-my-grandmother-s-stories-always-life-moved-moved-heroically/) [Langston Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/langston-hughes/) > [When my grandmother died, I realized that even if I had millions of dollars, I couldn't find her anywhere on earth. My next thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/when-my-grandmother-died-i-realized-that-even-if-i-had-millions-of/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) ## More by Jon McGregor > [Everybody's got their own situation and their own needs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-mcgregor/everybody-s-got-their-own-situation-and-their-own-needs/) [Jon McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-mcgregor/) > [It is something I recognise in myself. I do eavesdrop. I do people-watch, a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-mcgregor/it-is-something-i-recognise-in-myself-i-do-eavesdrop-i-do-people/) [Jon McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-mcgregor/) > [“the rain falls, catching the trailing edges of net curtains which flow out of open windows like fishing nets lowered over the backs of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-mcgregor/the-rain-falls-catching-the-trailing-edges-of-net-curtains-which-flow/) [Jon McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-mcgregor/) > [I'm surprised, but I'm glad, I realise that this is what i wanted that night last week, to simply make a connection and keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-mcgregor/i-m-surprised-but-i-m-glad-i-realise-that-this-is-what-i-wanted-that/) [Jon McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-mcgregor/) > [I once saw a picture in the paper of John Hegley with 'poet' written on his knuckles, and I thought that was pretty cool,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-mcgregor/i-once-saw-a-picture-in-the-paper-of-john-hegley-with-poet-written-on/) [Jon McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-mcgregor/) > [“The world didn’t always sound right when it was first explained.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-mcgregor/the-world-didn-t-always-sound-right-when-it-was-first-explained/) [Jon McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-mcgregor/) > [“And he'd looked straight back at her, holding her professional eye contact, and said yes, thankyou doctor, I do understand, yes. And he'd coughed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-mcgregor/and-he-d-looked-straight-back-at-her-holding-her-professional-eye/) [Jon McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-mcgregor/) > [I wonder how many ways there are for a mother to produce that wreckage in her own daughter, and my muscles tense as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-mcgregor/i-wonder-how-many-ways-there-are-for-a-mother-to-produce-that/) [Jon McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-mcgregor/) > [There are so many people in the world, and I want to know them all but I don’t even know my next-door neighbor’s name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-mcgregor/there-are-so-many-people-in-the-world-and-i-want-to-know-them-all-but/) [Jon McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-mcgregor/) > [All the emails I get these days start with sorry but I've been so busy, and I don't understand how we can be so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-mcgregor/all-the-emails-i-get-these-days-start-with-sorry-but-i-ve-been-so/) [Jon McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-mcgregor/) > [“He wonders how so much water can resist the pull of so much gravity for the time it takes such pregnant clouds to form,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-mcgregor/he-wonders-how-so-much-water-can-resist-the-pull-of-so-much-gravity/) [Jon McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-mcgregor/) > [“By the middle of the afternoon it had rained so much that the drains were overflowing, clogged up with leaves and newspapers. The water…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-mcgregor/by-the-middle-of-the-afternoon-it-had-rained-so-much-that-the-drains/) [Jon McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-mcgregor/) > [“Her name was Rebecca, or Becky, or Bex. She'd been wearing a white hooded top with a navy-blue body-warmer. She would be twenty-three years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-mcgregor/her-name-was-rebecca-or-becky-or-bex-she-d-been-wearing-a-white/) [Jon McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-mcgregor/) > [It takes a lot of energy and creativity to make such screwed up lives carry on. And the kind of will people have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-mcgregor/it-takes-a-lot-of-energy-and-creativity-to-make-such-screwed-up-lives/) [Jon McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-mcgregor/) > [Last week I was just someone who had had a first novel published.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-mcgregor/last-week-i-was-just-someone-who-had-had-a-first-novel-published/) [Jon McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-mcgregor/) [Explore all 37 Jon McGregor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-mcgregor/) ## More Blessing quotes > [Being a new mother is a blessing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phaedra-parks/being-a-new-mother-is-a-blessing/) [Phaedra Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phaedra-parks/) > [God loves to glorify himself by suspending his gifts and blessings on our asking him for them. We should never presume to receive from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-storms/god-loves-to-glorify-himself-by-suspending-his-gifts-and-blessings-on/) [Sam Storms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-storms/) > [When Allah puts barakah (His blessings) in something, it will come beyond your expectations- never underestimate the power of one good deed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nouman-ali-khan/when-allah-puts-barakah-his-blessings-in-something-it-will-come/) [Nouman Ali Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nouman-ali-khan/) > [Life is all about experiences and being able to work with good people is a blessing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhumika-chawla/life-is-all-about-experiences-and-being-able-to-work-with-good-people/) [Bhumika Chawla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhumika-chawla/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [“When Jesus finished teaching in a synagogue one day, a woman called out from the audience, 'God bless your mother—the womb from which you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-bessey/when-jesus-finished-teaching-in-a-synagogue-one-day-a-woman-called/) [Sarah Bessey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-bessey/) > [“I've never felt a pain that didn't bear a blessing. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-knudsen-hoffman/i-ve-never-felt-a-pain-that-didn-t-bear-a-blessing/) Gene Knudsen Hoffman > [Mechanical instruments, potentially a vehicle of rational human purposes, are scarcely a blessing when they enable the gossip of the village idiot and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/mechanical-instruments-potentially-a-vehicle-of-rational-human/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [One of the noblest words in our language is "grace," defined as "unearned blessing." We live by grace far more than by anything else.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-elton-trueblood/one-of-the-noblest-words-in-our-language-is-grace-defined-as-unearned/) [D. Elton Trueblood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-elton-trueblood/) > [The only men who become Gods, even the Sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy. Others attain unto a glory and may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigham-young/the-only-men-who-become-gods-even-the-sons-of-god-are-those-who-enter/) [Brigham Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigham-young/) > [Being of Indian heritage is a challenge - and it's a blessing as well sometimes - because being good isn't good enough. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sacha-dhawan/being-of-indian-heritage-is-a-challenge-and-it-s-a-blessing-as-well/) [Sacha Dhawan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sacha-dhawan/) > [“Time wasted can never be compensated”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/time-wasted-can-never-be-compensated/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [The Louvre! The Louvre has me in its clutches. Every time I'm there rich blessings rain down upon me. I am coming to understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-modersohn-becker/the-louvre-the-louvre-has-me-in-its-clutches-every-time-i-m-there/) [Paula Modersohn-Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-modersohn-becker/) > [Life is such a very troublesome matter, when all is said and done, that it's as well even to take its blessings quietly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-elizabeth-braddon/life-is-such-a-very-troublesome-matter-when-all-is-said-and-done-that/) [Mary Elizabeth Braddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-elizabeth-braddon/) > [Down where I grew up, able-bodied people do that which we believe God created them to do. Work is a blessing; it's not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-southerland/down-where-i-grew-up-able-bodied-people-do-that-which-we-believe-god/) [Steve Southerland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-southerland/) [Browse all 4,617 Blessing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blessing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "He says when your grandmother died your mother cried solidly for a week, solidly. She was crying with relief he says, it was like as if a door had been unlocked and she'd been let outside, she said to me I'm safe now. 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