--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They exchanged notes, like children. My…" description: "\"“They exchanged notes, like children. My grandfather made his out of newspaper clippings and dropped them in her woven baskets, into which he knew only..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa0/jonathan-safran-foer-136_american-war_they-exchanged-notes-like-children-my-gr_2640725.jpg" --- # They exchanged notes, like children. My grandfather made… ![“They exchanged notes, like children. My grandfather made his out of newspaper clippings and dropped them in her woven baskets, into which he knew only she would dare stick a hand. Meet me under the wooden bridge and I will show you things you have never, ever seen. The "M" was taken from the army…” quote by Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa0/jonathan-safran-foer-136_american-war_they-exchanged-notes-like-children-my-gr_2640725.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa0/jonathan-safran-foer-136_american-war_they-exchanged-notes-like-children-my-gr_2640725.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa0/jonathan-safran-foer-136_american-war_they-exchanged-notes-like-children-my-gr_2640725.jpg) > ““They exchanged notes, like children. My grandfather made his out of newspaper clippings and dropped them in her woven baskets, into which he knew only she would dare stick a hand. Meet me under the wooden bridge and I will show you things you have never, ever seen. The "M" was taken from the army that would take his mother’s life: GERMAN FRONT ADVANCES ON SOVIET BORDER; the "eet" from their approaching warships: NAZI FLEET DEFEATS FRENCH AT LESACS; the "me" from the peninsula they were blue-eyeing: GERMANS SURROUND CRIMEA; the "und" from too little, too late: AMERICAN WAR FUNDS REACH ENGLAND; the "er" from the dog of dogs: HITLER RENDERS NONAGGRESSION PACT INOPERATIVE…and so on, and so on, each note a collage of love that could never be, and a war that could”” [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A secret code hides love and war within a child's innocent exchange, showing how personal narratives intertwine with historical trauma. **In simple terms:** Love and war are encoded in everyday objects. Key Takeaway Seek hidden meanings in ordinary gestures. Themes love war memory code family Mood reflective poignant thoughtful Type literary symbolic When to use this quote - family communication - historical education - creative writing - memorial projects Key Concepts symbolism intertextuality historical trauma Questions to Reflect On - How do personal stories reshape collective memory? - What symbols can you embed in daily life? A Different Perspective The code may be overly contrived, risking obscurity over clarity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-war/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Exchanged Notes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exchanged-notes-2267679/) [Newspaper Clippings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/newspaper-clippings-588655/) [Note](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/note/) [Note Collage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/note-collage-2267680/) [Notes Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/notes-like-564019/) [Too late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-late/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [I don't like to waste notes, not even one. I like to put the right note in the right place, and my influences have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-marr/i-don-t-like-to-waste-notes-not-even-one-i-like-to-put-the-right-note/) [Johnny Marr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-marr/) > [“while I was pouring through a stack of newspaper clippings”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-brosky/while-i-was-pouring-through-a-stack-of-newspaper-clippings/) [Ken Brosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-brosky/) > [“After President James Garfield was shot, his staff used a Mark Twain scrapbook to compile newspaper clippings documenting the incident. (In fact, Twain popularized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/after-president-james-garfield-was-shot-his-staff-used-a-mark-twain/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The proud man counts his newspaper clippings; the humble, his blessings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-proud-man-counts-his-newspaper-clippings-the-humble-his-blessings/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My dad still collects newspaper clippings about me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-pugh/my-dad-still-collects-newspaper-clippings-about-me/) [Florence Pugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-pugh/) > [Newspaper clippings fill the coffee shops.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-chesney/newspaper-clippings-fill-the-coffee-shops/) [Kenny Chesney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-chesney/) > [I like to have space between the notes. I like to use silence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-johannsson/i-like-to-have-space-between-the-notes-i-like-to-use-silence/) [Johann Johannsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-johannsson/) > [If you don't practice for three days, everyone will notice." It's something you have to really maintain. So unfortunately, I don't play it that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-booth/if-you-don-t-practice-for-three-days-everyone-will-notice-it-s/) [Douglas Booth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-booth/) > [I am a sad person. In this world there are people who like major notes and minor notes. I like minor notes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-bhatt/i-am-a-sad-person-in-this-world-there-are-people-who-like-major-notes/) [Vikram Bhatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-bhatt/) > [I dont like to waste notes, not even one. 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My grandfather made his out of newspaper clippings and dropped them in her woven baskets, into which he knew only she would dare stick a hand. Meet me under the wooden bridge and I will show you things you have never, ever seen. The \"M\" was taken from the army that would take his mother’s life: GERMAN FRONT ADVANCES ON SOVIET BORDER; the \"eet\" from their approaching warships: NAZI FLEET DEFEATS FRENCH AT LESACS; the \"me\" from the peninsula they were blue-eyeing: GERMANS SURROUND CRIMEA; the \"und\" from too little, too late: AMERICAN WAR FUNDS REACH ENGLAND; the \"er\" from the dog of dogs: HITLER RENDERS NONAGGRESSION PACT INOPERATIVE…and so on, and so on, each note a collage of love that could never be, and a war that could”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jonathan Safran Foer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/they-exchanged-notes-like-children-my-grandfather-made-his-out-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American war" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/they-exchanged-notes-like-children-my-grandfather-made-his-out-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa0/jonathan-safran-foer-136_american-war_they-exchanged-notes-like-children-my-gr_2640725.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa0/jonathan-safran-foer-136_american-war_they-exchanged-notes-like-children-my-gr_2640725.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa0/jonathan-safran-foer-136_american-war_they-exchanged-notes-like-children-my-gr_2640725.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“They exchanged notes, like children. 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