--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Initially they waited with hope, but as…" description: "\"“Initially they waited with hope, but as each hour passed, hope slipped away like the wind, the wind that as a small boy Ethan had once tried to captur..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da1/k-martin-beckner-15699_death_initially-they-waited-with-hope-but-as-e_608577.jpg" --- # Initially they waited with hope, but as each hour passed… ![“Initially they waited with hope, but as each hour passed, hope slipped away like the wind, the wind that as a small boy Ethan had once tried to capture with his tiny fingers.” quote by K. Martin Beckner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da1/k-martin-beckner-15699_death_initially-they-waited-with-hope-but-as-e_608577.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da1/k-martin-beckner-15699_death_initially-they-waited-with-hope-but-as-e_608577.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da1/k-martin-beckner-15699_death_initially-they-waited-with-hope-but-as-e_608577.jpg) > ““Initially they waited with hope, but as each hour passed, hope slipped away like the wind, the wind that as a small boy Ethan had once tried to capture with his tiny fingers.”” [K. Martin Beckner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-martin-beckner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Hope diminishes over time when not nurtured, turning into something intangible like wind that cannot be grasped. **In simple terms:** Hope fades without effort. Key Takeaway Nurture hope actively. Themes hope disillusionment patience Mood melancholic reflective Type literary emotional When to use this quote - relationships - personal growth - emotional resilience Key Concepts impermanence expectation illusion Questions to Reflect On - How do you keep hope alive? - What actions sustain hope? A Different Perspective Hope alone cannot sustain without action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Loss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loss/) [Wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wind/) ## Related quotes > [“But godhead gradually slipped away from him, leaving only a sense of election and the power, through his music, to to change landscapes, seasons,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-wroe/but-godhead-gradually-slipped-away-from-him-leaving-only-a-sense-of/) [Ann Wroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-wroe/) > [Before you think life has slipped away, remember, it's right around the corner, and you just have to walk a little bit farther.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-grimes/before-you-think-life-has-slipped-away-remember-it-s-right-around-the/) Danielle Grimes > [But with every word she was drawing further and further into herself, so he gave that up, and only the dead dream fought on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/but-with-every-word-she-was-drawing-further-and-further-into-herself/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [While you are living, part of you has slipped away to the cemetery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hardwick/while-you-are-living-part-of-you-has-slipped-away-to-the-cemetery/) [Elizabeth Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hardwick/) > [I miss you, miss you so bad I don't forget you, oh it's so sad I hope you can hear me, I remember it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-miss-you-miss-you-so-bad-i-don-t-forget-you-oh-it-s-so-sad-i-hope-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“A flood of nostalgia swallowed me up as his taillights passed out of sight, and I realized with a start that my last true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pitre/a-flood-of-nostalgia-swallowed-me-up-as-his-taillights-passed-out-of/) Michael Pitre > [I miss you, miss you so bad I don't forget you, oh it's so sad I hope you can hear me I remember it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/im-nothing/i-miss-you-miss-you-so-bad-i-don-t-forget-you-oh-it-s-so-sad-i-hope/) Im Nothing > [“Out in the country it was not uncommon to discover that she had slipped away, alone, out to the lake, maybe, or down to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/out-in-the-country-it-was-not-uncommon-to-discover-that-she-had/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [The certainty that she would find what it was she sought just slipped away, until one night she knew there was nothing, no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-morton/the-certainty-that-she-would-find-what-it-was-she-sought-just-slipped/) [Kate Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-morton/) > [The day you went away, my world slipped away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-day-you-went-away-my-world-slipped-away/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The one thing I’d learned was that having someone with you all the time did not take away the loneliness. You could be surrounded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbi-glines/the-one-thing-i-d-learned-was-that-having-someone-with-you-all-the/) [Abbi Glines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbi-glines/) > [Death is nothing at all; it does not count. I have only slipped away into the next room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-scott-holland/death-is-nothing-at-all-it-does-not-count-i-have-only-slipped-away/) [Henry Scott Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-scott-holland/) > [If I didn't have my camera to remind me constantly, I am here to do this, I would eventually have slipped away, I think.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/if-i-didn-t-have-my-camera-to-remind-me-constantly-i-am-here-to-do/) [Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/) > [“I regret not telling her how much she meant to me, how much I'd miss her, how devastated I'd be to see her go.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-m-augustine/i-regret-not-telling-her-how-much-she-meant-to-me-how-much-i-d-miss/) [L.M. Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-m-augustine/) > [Death is nothing at all. I have only slipped away into the next room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/death-is-nothing-at-all-i-have-only-slipped-away-into-the-next-room/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by K. Martin Beckner > [“Like a car that's old enough to be old but not old enough to be a classic, it would be years before people would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-martin-beckner/like-a-car-that-s-old-enough-to-be-old-but-not-old-enough-to-be-a/) [K. Martin Beckner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-martin-beckner/) > [“Anyway," continued Mr. Miller, "when I was a kid, people used to sit under the stars at night and look up into the sky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-martin-beckner/anyway-continued-mr-miller-when-i-was-a-kid-people-used-to-sit-under/) [K. Martin Beckner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-martin-beckner/) > [“I've tucked those negative thoughts in a drawer, and for the most part, though I know the drawer still exists, it never gets opened.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-martin-beckner/i-ve-tucked-those-negative-thoughts-in-a-drawer-and-for-the-most-part/) [K. Martin Beckner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-martin-beckner/) > [“I want you to learn that if you don't keep picking at old wounds, over time they will eventually heal. Oh sure, sometimes they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-martin-beckner/i-want-you-to-learn-that-if-you-don-t-keep-picking-at-old-wounds-over/) [K. Martin Beckner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-martin-beckner/) > [“Stephanie took another puff from her candy cigarette, reached into her purse, brought out the rest of the pack, and said, "Want one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-martin-beckner/stephanie-took-another-puff-from-her-candy-cigarette-reached-into-her/) [K. Martin Beckner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-martin-beckner/) > [“don’t think he ever did feel right living on this earth without Sarah. Now he can be with Sarah in Heaven forever and ever.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-martin-beckner/don-t-think-he-ever-did-feel-right-living-on-this-earth-without-sarah/) [K. Martin Beckner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-martin-beckner/) > [“I guess we're all composed of a lot of mistakes; we just have to figure out how to take our mistakes and make something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-martin-beckner/i-guess-we-re-all-composed-of-a-lot-of-mistakes-we-just-have-to/) [K. Martin Beckner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-martin-beckner/) > [“Sometimes you may think you're doing the right thing, but it turns out to be the wrong thing. And you just have to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-martin-beckner/sometimes-you-may-think-you-re-doing-the-right-thing-but-it-turns-out/) [K. Martin Beckner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-martin-beckner/) > [“I feel better now that we decided not to worry. I think most people spend too much time worrying about stuff that never happens.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-martin-beckner/i-feel-better-now-that-we-decided-not-to-worry-i-think-most-people/) [K. Martin Beckner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-martin-beckner/) > [“There aren't many kids today as good as you are. Kids today are selfish; they don't think of others. They're too busy listening to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-martin-beckner/there-aren-t-many-kids-today-as-good-as-you-are-kids-today-are/) [K. Martin Beckner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-martin-beckner/) > [“I felt a pang of guilt at these words. I knew that it would probably be a long time before he got to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-martin-beckner/i-felt-a-pang-of-guilt-at-these-words-i-knew-that-it-would-probably/) [K. Martin Beckner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-martin-beckner/) > [“I wanted to go in and tell them that, but George thought it would just be stirring up some trouble, you know, stirring up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-martin-beckner/i-wanted-to-go-in-and-tell-them-that-but-george-thought-it-would-just/) [K. Martin Beckner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-martin-beckner/) > [“I've left behind so many unfinished quilts in my life, beautiful pieces of dreams and intentions never fully assembled.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-martin-beckner/i-ve-left-behind-so-many-unfinished-quilts-in-my-life-beautiful/) [K. Martin Beckner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-martin-beckner/) > [“Life’s journey does not take place down an easy roadway, as some might imagine. It takes place inside a giant house with a million…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-martin-beckner/life-s-journey-does-not-take-place-down-an-easy-roadway-as-some-might/) [K. Martin Beckner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-martin-beckner/) > [“That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard of. I think I would have more fun chopping thistles with a butter knife.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-martin-beckner/that-s-the-dumbest-thing-i-ve-ever-heard-of-i-think-i-would-have-more/) [K. Martin Beckner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-martin-beckner/) [Explore all 42 K. Martin Beckner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-martin-beckner/) ## More Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/) [Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/) > [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) J. Anthony Torino > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) Alan W. Powers > [“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/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/) [Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/) > [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) [Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Initially they waited with hope, but as each hour passed, hope slipped away like the wind, the wind that as a small boy Ethan had once tried to capture with his tiny fingers.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "K. Martin Beckner" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-martin-beckner/initially-they-waited-with-hope-but-as-each-hour-passed-hope-slipped/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Death" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-martin-beckner/initially-they-waited-with-hope-but-as-each-hour-passed-hope-slipped/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da1/k-martin-beckner-15699_death_initially-they-waited-with-hope-but-as-e_608577.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da1/k-martin-beckner-15699_death_initially-they-waited-with-hope-but-as-e_608577.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da1/k-martin-beckner-15699_death_initially-they-waited-with-hope-but-as-e_608577.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Initially they waited with hope, but as each hour passed, hope slipped away like the wind, the wind that as…” — K. Martin Beckner", "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": "K. Martin Beckner", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-martin-beckner/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Initially they waited with hope, but...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-martin-beckner/initially-they-waited-with-hope-but-as-each-hour-passed-hope-slipped/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-martin-beckner/initially-they-waited-with-hope-but-as-each-hour-passed-hope-slipped/#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 } } ] } ```