--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That was the way with grief: it left you…" description: "\"That was the way with grief: it left you alone for months together until you thought that you were cured, and then without warning it blotted out the s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb0/josephine-tey-12922_grief_that-was-the-way-with-grief-it-left-you_3198193.jpg" --- # That was the way with grief: it left you alone for months… ![“That was the way with grief: it left you alone for months together until you thought that you were cured, and then without warning it blotted out the sunlight.” quote by Josephine Tey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb0/josephine-tey-12922_grief_that-was-the-way-with-grief-it-left-you_3198193.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb0/josephine-tey-12922_grief_that-was-the-way-with-grief-it-left-you_3198193.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb0/josephine-tey-12922_grief_that-was-the-way-with-grief-it-left-you_3198193.jpg) > “That was the way with grief: it left you alone for months together until you thought that you were cured, and then without warning it blotted out the sunlight.” [Josephine Tey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-tey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Grief isolates and resurfaces unexpectedly, disrupting normal life until it finally lifts. **In simple terms:** Grief can be lonely and sudden. Key Takeaway Allow time for healing, but stay open to change. Themes grief isolation healing mental health Mood somber hopeful Type literary emotional When to use this quote - bereavement - long‑term sadness - support groups - therapy sessions Key Concepts psychology emotional resilience Questions to Reflect On - How do you recognize hidden grief? - What supports help you emerge from darkness? A Different Perspective Grief may linger despite apparent recovery. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Grief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grief/) [Sunlight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sunlight/) [Warning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/warning/) ## Related quotes > [Honestly, after five, six months, I thought it was unlikely I'd be here long: my characteristics seemed to go against everything Barcelona stood for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-mascherano/honestly-after-five-six-months-i-thought-it-was-unlikely-i-d-be-here/) [Javier Mascherano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-mascherano/) > [Begin with little things daily and one day you will be doing things that months back you would have thought impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/begin-with-little-things-daily-and-one-day-you-will-be-doing-things/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Three months, I thought. In idle moments, I retreated into that early-summer dream of reinvention, when you set your eyes on September and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/three-months-i-thought-in-idle-moments-i-retreated-into-that-early/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [“Hey, you’re so fast.” “No time for sarcasm.” “I’m not going to kiss you.” “Trust me, even I actually really want to put my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rea-lidde/hey-you-re-so-fast-no-time-for-sarcasm-i-m-not-going-to-kiss-you/) Rea Lidde > [The naked thing was short-lived. It was only around for about six months because we thought it was shocking. Once people expected us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hoppus/the-naked-thing-was-short-lived-it-was-only-around-for-about-six/) [Mark Hoppus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hoppus/) > [“It didn’t make any difference, Fiona realized, whether you were Fae or Lupine or human. Grief left the same wounds on everyone, and everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-warren/it-didn-t-make-any-difference-fiona-realized-whether-you-were-fae-or/) [Christine Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-warren/) > [Perhaps it is the greatest grief, after all, to be left on earth when another is gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/perhaps-it-is-the-greatest-grief-after-all-to-be-left-on-earth-when/) [Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/) > [“Stay more loyal to your own life (and the day by day living of it) than you are to the grief of what has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/stay-more-loyal-to-your-own-life-and-the-day-by-day-living-of-it-than/) [Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/) > [I have outlasted all desire, My dreams and I have grown apart; My grief alone is left entire, The gleamings of an empty heart.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pushkin/i-have-outlasted-all-desire-my-dreams-and-i-have-grown-apart-my-grief/) [Alexander Pushkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pushkin/) > [“Time is the only thing that will heal this, and even that will only lessen the grief. There’s nowhere left to run; nowhere left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-cooper/time-is-the-only-thing-that-will-heal-this-and-even-that-will-only/) [Doug Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-cooper/) > [“And perhaps it is the greater grief, after all, to be left on earth when another is gone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/and-perhaps-it-is-the-greater-grief-after-all-to-be-left-on-earth/) [Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/) > [“I’ve often wondered, even to this day, why during painful times some people seem to step away from themselves and make decisions that fall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-howard-creel/i-ve-often-wondered-even-to-this-day-why-during-painful-times-some/) [Ann Howard Creel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-howard-creel/) > [I always encourage people who had a loss of any kind that you find something to focus on that takes you out of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-eldon/i-always-encourage-people-who-had-a-loss-of-any-kind-that-you-find/) [Kathy Eldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-eldon/) > [“I have given up on speech with the Rev; there is no use explaining that you have to learn where your pain is. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-hamilton/i-have-given-up-on-speech-with-the-rev-there-is-no-use-explaining/) [Jane Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-hamilton/) > [“I wasn't good at pretending, that was the thing. After what had happened in that burning house, given what went on there, I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/i-wasn-t-good-at-pretending-that-was-the-thing-after-what-had/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) ## More by Josephine Tey > [“She put her cup down and sighed again with pleasure. "I can't think how the Nonconformists have failed to discover coffee." "Discover it?" "Yes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-tey/she-put-her-cup-down-and-sighed-again-with-pleasure-i-can-t-think-how/) [Josephine Tey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-tey/) > [“The only thing that counted to her was her own opinion of herself. If that became smirched or spoiled there would be nothing left.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-tey/the-only-thing-that-counted-to-her-was-her-own-opinion-of-herself-if/) [Josephine Tey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-tey/) > [The worst of pushing horrible things down into one's subconscious is that when they pop up again they are as fresh as if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-tey/the-worst-of-pushing-horrible-things-down-into-one-s-subconscious-is/) [Josephine Tey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-tey/) > [“This is nice,” she said. “They’re not very high, but I hate walking in them.” “What are?” “My shoes.” She held up a foot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-tey/this-is-nice-she-said-they-re-not-very-high-but-i-hate-walking-in/) [Josephine Tey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-tey/) > [It was pleasant to talk shop again; to use that elliptical, allusive speech that one uses only with another of one's trade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-tey/it-was-pleasant-to-talk-shop-again-to-use-that-elliptical-allusive/) [Josephine Tey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-tey/) > [“Silas’s last book: mother lying-in with her eleventh upstairs, father laid-out after his ninth downstairs, eldest son lying to the Government in the cow-shed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-tey/silas-s-last-book-mother-lying-in-with-her-eleventh-upstairs-father/) [Josephine Tey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-tey/) > [It's an odd thing but when you tell someone the true facts of a mythical tale they are indignant not with the teller but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-tey/it-s-an-odd-thing-but-when-you-tell-someone-the-true-facts-of-a/) [Josephine Tey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-tey/) > [“How old was More when Richard succeeded? He was five. When that dramatic council scene had taken place at the Tower, Thomas More had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-tey/how-old-was-more-when-richard-succeeded-he-was-five-when-that/) [Josephine Tey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-tey/) > [Nothing puts things in perspective as quickly as a mountain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-tey/nothing-puts-things-in-perspective-as-quickly-as-a-mountain/) [Josephine Tey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-tey/) > [“She'll never ride," Eleanor said. She can't even bump the saddle yet." "Perhaps loony people can't ride," Ruth suggested. "Ruth," Bee said, with vigour.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-tey/she-ll-never-ride-eleanor-said-she-can-t-even-bump-the-saddle-yet/) [Josephine Tey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-tey/) > [The truth of anything at all doesn't lie in someone's account of it. It lies in all the small facts of the time. An…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-tey/the-truth-of-anything-at-all-doesn-t-lie-in-someone-s-account-of-it/) [Josephine Tey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-tey/) > [“Alan Grant: "There are... far too many words written. Millions and millions of them pouring from the presses every minute. It's a horrible thought."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-tey/alan-grant-there-are-far-too-many-words-written-millions-and-millions/) [Josephine Tey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-tey/) > [Truth is often terribly thin, don't you think?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-tey/truth-is-often-terribly-thin-don-t-you-think/) [Josephine Tey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-tey/) > [A man may own a ship, but unless he is captain of a crew he goes where the ship goes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-tey/a-man-may-own-a-ship-but-unless-he-is-captain-of-a-crew-he-goes-where/) [Josephine Tey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-tey/) > [In hospitals there is no time off for good behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-tey/in-hospitals-there-is-no-time-off-for-good-behavior/) [Josephine Tey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-tey/) [Explore all 52 Josephine Tey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-tey/) ## More Grief quotes > [“...they had lived, they'd lived intensely. But no matter how deeply you live, it comes to this in the end: one of you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-morton/they-had-lived-they-d-lived-intensely-but-no-matter-how-deeply-you/) [Brian Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-morton/) > [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) > [You felt a deep sorrow, the kind of melancholy you feel when you're in a beautiful place and the sun is going down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thrity-umrigar/you-felt-a-deep-sorrow-the-kind-of-melancholy-you-feel-when-you-re-in/) [Thrity Umrigar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thrity-umrigar/) > [... how much of our inner substance is it good for us to give to public griefs? The whole modern tendency to agonize over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-bogan/how-much-of-our-inner-substance-is-it-good-for-us-to-give-to-public/) [Louise Bogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-bogan/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“When we learn to attribute meaning to the events in our lives, we connect with our Higher Purpose, Higher Wisdom, or Source; we become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-barbara-apollon/when-we-learn-to-attribute-meaning-to-the-events-in-our-lives-we/) [Susan Barbara Apollon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-barbara-apollon/) > [Only to have a grief equal to all these tears!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/only-to-have-a-grief-equal-to-all-these-tears/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [Nowadays most people wear black most of the time anyway: go to a literary party and one would imagine everyone there was in perpetual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/nowadays-most-people-wear-black-most-of-the-time-anyway-go-to-a/) [Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/) > [Suppressed grief suffocates, it rages within the breast, and is forced to multiply its strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/suppressed-grief-suffocates-it-rages-within-the-breast-and-is-forced/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [That Woman is in love with her own grief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/that-woman-is-in-love-with-her-own-grief/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [Short time seems long in sorrow's sharp sustaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/short-time-seems-long-in-sorrow-s-sharp-sustaining/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [These days grief seems like walking on a frozen river; most of the time he feels safe enough, but there is always that danger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/these-days-grief-seems-like-walking-on-a-frozen-river-most-of-the/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“You've been my beacon of light in my storm of grief, and I don't know if I could live without you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-ashley/you-ve-been-my-beacon-of-light-in-my-storm-of-grief-and-i-don-t-know/) [Katie Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-ashley/) > [Ancient eyes had stared at me, filled with ancient grief. And something more. Something so alien and unexpected that I'd almost burst into tears.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/ancient-eyes-had-stared-at-me-filled-with-ancient-grief-and-something/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [Meanwhile, the trees were just as green as before; the birds sang and the sun shone as clearly now as ever. The familiar surroundings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/meanwhile-the-trees-were-just-as-green-as-before-the-birds-sang-and/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) [Browse all 8,012 Grief quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grief/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "That was the way with grief: it left you alone for months together until you thought that you were cured, and then without warning it blotted out the sunlight.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Josephine Tey" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-tey/that-was-the-way-with-grief-it-left-you-alone-for-months-together/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Grief" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-tey/that-was-the-way-with-grief-it-left-you-alone-for-months-together/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb0/josephine-tey-12922_grief_that-was-the-way-with-grief-it-left-you_3198193.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb0/josephine-tey-12922_grief_that-was-the-way-with-grief-it-left-you_3198193.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb0/josephine-tey-12922_grief_that-was-the-way-with-grief-it-left-you_3198193.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“That was the way with grief: it left you alone for months together until you thought that you were cured…” — Josephine Tey", "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": "Josephine Tey", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-tey/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "That was the way with grief:...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-tey/that-was-the-way-with-grief-it-left-you-alone-for-months-together/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-tey/that-was-the-way-with-grief-it-left-you-alone-for-months-together/#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 } } ] } ```