--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My grandfather started his autobiography…" description: "\"My grandfather started his autobiography before he died; he never finished it. I would like to finish his autobiography because I finished mine.\" — Kar..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/999/karrine-steffans-13061_autobiography_my-grandfather-started-his-autobiography_125079.jpg" --- # My grandfather started his autobiography before he died… ![“My grandfather started his autobiography before he died; he never finished it. I would like to finish his autobiography because I finished mine.” quote by Karrine Steffans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/999/karrine-steffans-13061_autobiography_my-grandfather-started-his-autobiography_125079.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/999/karrine-steffans-13061_autobiography_my-grandfather-started-his-autobiography_125079.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/999/karrine-steffans-13061_autobiography_my-grandfather-started-his-autobiography_125079.jpg) > “My grandfather started his autobiography before he died; he never finished it. I would like to finish his autobiography because I finished mine.” [Karrine Steffans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karrine-steffans/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker wishes to honor a family legacy by completing an unfinished autobiography, mirroring their own completed life story. **In simple terms:** Finish what ancestors began. Key Takeaway Legacy continuity through storytelling. Themes family legacy storytelling Mood nostalgic reflective Type personal When to use this quote - Writing memoirs - Preserving family histories Key Concepts intergenerational narrative Practical Applications - Interview older relatives for anecdotes - Compile personal journals Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities come with completing another’s story? - How does personal perspective shape historical truth? A Different Perspective Personal bias may color the completed narrative. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Autobiography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/autobiography/) [Autobiography Finished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/autobiography-finished-1450609/) [Died](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/died/) [Finish Autobiography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finish-autobiography-1450608/) [Finished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finished/) [Grandfather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grandfather/) [Grandfather Started](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grandfather-started-1450610/) [My grandfather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-grandfather/) [Started Autobiography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started-autobiography-1450611/) ## Related quotes > [My great-grandfather started in the coal mines, and my great grandmother made 10 pounds of bread every Saturday morning that we delivered to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-bresch/my-great-grandfather-started-in-the-coal-mines-and-my-great/) [Heather Bresch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-bresch/) > [Only a few months into our marriage," writes the grandfather, "we started marking off areas in the apartment as 'Nothing Places,' in which one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/only-a-few-months-into-our-marriage-writes-the-grandfather-we-started/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [We were in Greenville, South Carolina, where he lived, and he was coming the next day to the show, but he passed away the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-michaels/we-were-in-greenville-south-carolina-where-he-lived-and-he-was-coming/) [Bret Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-michaels/) > [The truth is that my grandfather was quite wealthy, a shipbuilder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-al-fayed/the-truth-is-that-my-grandfather-was-quite-wealthy-a-shipbuilder/) [Mohamed Al-Fayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-al-fayed/) > [I have a ranch in Montana, but it's not a real working ranch. I've always liked the outdoors. I come from Texas. My grandfather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-quaid/i-have-a-ranch-in-montana-but-it-s-not-a-real-working-ranch-i-ve/) [Dennis Quaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-quaid/) > [When we were all getting ready to leave, I walked up to my grandfather and gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/when-we-were-all-getting-ready-to-leave-i-walked-up-to-my-grandfather/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [A writer represents his family history. My grandfather was a senator and my father served in the Roosevelt administration. In other words, I grew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/a-writer-represents-his-family-history-my-grandfather-was-a-senator/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Today is my grandfather's birthday." "How old is he?" "Sixty-three. It's hard to believe he was once a human being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-schulz/today-is-my-grandfather-s-birthday-how-old-is-he-sixty-three-it-s/) [Charles M. Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-schulz/) > [All the stories of the Bible that I know came to me first from my grandfather's lips... He would see stories in everything. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/all-the-stories-of-the-bible-that-i-know-came-to-me-first-from-my/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [My grandfather was a man, when he talked about freedom, his attitude was really interesting. His view was that you had obligations or you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/my-grandfather-was-a-man-when-he-talked-about-freedom-his-attitude/) [Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/) > [You start Saul, and end up Paul,' my grandfather had often said. 'When you're a youngun, you Saul, but let life whup your head…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-start-saul-and-end-up-paul-my-grandfather-had-often-said-when-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When we lived in a society where we had large families that lived together, especially in agricultural societies like my grandfather and father grew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-gawande/when-we-lived-in-a-society-where-we-had-large-families-that-lived/) [Atul Gawande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-gawande/) > [I never thought about becoming a politician. But during the military dictatorship, my grandfather was put in prison six times and my father twice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-papandreou/i-never-thought-about-becoming-a-politician-but-during-the-military/) [George Papandreou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-papandreou/) > [I am ever mindful of the legacy of my grandfather, the founder of this Kingdom, who had said to me that he perceived his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-hussein-i/i-am-ever-mindful-of-the-legacy-of-my-grandfather-the-founder-of-this/) [King Hussein I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/king-hussein-i/) > [Now I am in the place I call this wide wide Heaven because it includes all my simplest desires but also the most humble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/now-i-am-in-the-place-i-call-this-wide-wide-heaven-because-it/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) ## More by Karrine Steffans > [The entertainment industry is vast and is a reflection of the society we live in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karrine-steffans/the-entertainment-industry-is-vast-and-is-a-reflection-of-the-society/) [Karrine Steffans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karrine-steffans/) > [In certain parts of the world - where I'm at right now in New York, you're going to pay a whole lot more. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karrine-steffans/in-certain-parts-of-the-world-where-i-m-at-right-now-in-new-york-you/) [Karrine Steffans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karrine-steffans/) > [A lot of times, women complain about men around them. It's not always someone else's fault. If you're the common denominator in 57 different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karrine-steffans/a-lot-of-times-women-complain-about-men-around-them-it-s-not-always/) [Karrine Steffans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karrine-steffans/) > [When Goldie Hawn wrote her memoirs, no one said Goldie Hawn was snitching. When Jane Fonda wrote her memoirs, no one said Jane Fonda…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karrine-steffans/when-goldie-hawn-wrote-her-memoirs-no-one-said-goldie-hawn-was/) [Karrine Steffans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karrine-steffans/) > [People don't change at their core. If you're a good person, you are a good person. What changes is our behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karrine-steffans/people-don-t-change-at-their-core-if-you-re-a-good-person-you-are-a/) [Karrine Steffans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karrine-steffans/) > [The thing about loving someone is that you have to love them the way they need to be loved and not the way you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karrine-steffans/the-thing-about-loving-someone-is-that-you-have-to-love-them-the-way/) [Karrine Steffans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karrine-steffans/) > [Everyone has to grow up and that's what we're all doing; we're just doing it in different ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karrine-steffans/everyone-has-to-grow-up-and-that-s-what-we-re-all-doing-we-re-just/) [Karrine Steffans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karrine-steffans/) > [I don't recognize hate, I don't recognize bitterness, I don't recognize jealousy, I don't recognize greed. I don't give them power. They don't exist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karrine-steffans/i-don-t-recognize-hate-i-don-t-recognize-bitterness-i-don-t-recognize/) [Karrine Steffans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karrine-steffans/) > [There are a few things that tend to infuriate me. One is ignorance, because I have become accustomed to speaking to very intelligent people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karrine-steffans/there-are-a-few-things-that-tend-to-infuriate-me-one-is-ignorance/) [Karrine Steffans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karrine-steffans/) > [For women especially, its important to be financially independent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karrine-steffans/for-women-especially-its-important-to-be-financially-independent/) [Karrine Steffans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karrine-steffans/) > [When you start defining yourself, you put yourself in boxes and I don't want to be trapped in anything because I will always evolve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karrine-steffans/when-you-start-defining-yourself-you-put-yourself-in-boxes-and-i-don/) [Karrine Steffans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karrine-steffans/) > [I am not, and have no interest in being, a musician of any kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karrine-steffans/i-am-not-and-have-no-interest-in-being-a-musician-of-any-kind/) [Karrine Steffans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karrine-steffans/) > [When I die, the world is going to talk about me. They will never forget me and I will never have any regrets. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karrine-steffans/when-i-die-the-world-is-going-to-talk-about-me-they-will-never-forget/) [Karrine Steffans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karrine-steffans/) > [I don't even listen to hip-hop anymore. All my friends are white and over 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karrine-steffans/i-don-t-even-listen-to-hip-hop-anymore-all-my-friends-are-white-and/) [Karrine Steffans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karrine-steffans/) > [Your man wants to know that there's nothing you wouldn't do for him - if that's your committed relationship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karrine-steffans/your-man-wants-to-know-that-there-s-nothing-you-wouldn-t-do-for-him/) [Karrine Steffans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karrine-steffans/) [Explore all 52 Karrine Steffans quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karrine-steffans/) ## More Autobiography quotes > [I think anything that anyone writes thats any good is going to have a lot of autobiography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-adly-guirgis/i-think-anything-that-anyone-writes-thats-any-good-is-going-to-have-a/) [Stephen Adly Guirgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-adly-guirgis/) > [“I am not and autobiographical writer--one can't be without a solid and explicable self--and read all autobiographical writers with the same curiosity. What kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yiyun-li/i-am-not-and-autobiographical-writer-one-can-t-be-without-a-solid-and/) [Yiyun Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yiyun-li/) > [“Someday, I want to write an unauthorized autobiography of myself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcmullen-sullivan/someday-i-want-to-write-an-unauthorized-autobiography-of-myself/) [David McMullen-Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcmullen-sullivan/) > [“As well as writing, 2004 saw my first attempt at wine making: the elixir of life. Unfortunately, my effort tasted more like the elixir…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-briggs/as-well-as-writing-2004-saw-my-first-attempt-at-wine-making-the/) [Craig Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-briggs/) > [I caught a cold and didn't have time to work on my autobiography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-doucet/i-caught-a-cold-and-didn-t-have-time-to-work-on-my-autobiography/) [Julie Doucet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-doucet/) > [Who ever heard, indeed, of an autobiography that was not (interesting)? I can recall none in all the literature of the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/who-ever-heard-indeed-of-an-autobiography-that-was-not-interesting-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't really think of my essays as being about myself. I know it sounds insane, but I just don't think of them as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sloane-crosley/i-don-t-really-think-of-my-essays-as-being-about-myself-i-know-it/) [Sloane Crosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sloane-crosley/) > [The way I would live my life is: never do something in real life that I would not want to write about in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddharth-katragadda/the-way-i-would-live-my-life-is-never-do-something-in-real-life-that/) [Siddharth Katragadda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddharth-katragadda/) > [biography cannot be separated from autobiography: that is, the life written about is inextricably entangled with the life of the biographer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-simon/biography-cannot-be-separated-from-autobiography-that-is-the-life/) [Linda Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-simon/) > [I think I'm like most novelists in that my books have gotten farther and farther away from autobiography the longer I've been writing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-i-m-like-most-novelists-in-that-my-books-have-gotten-farther/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [If you wish to understand me at all (and to write an autobiography is only to open a window into one's heart) you must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nellie-melba/if-you-wish-to-understand-me-at-all-and-to-write-an-autobiography-is/) [Nellie Melba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nellie-melba/) > [I want an autobiography without revealing any personal information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-ross/i-want-an-autobiography-without-revealing-any-personal-information/) [Diana Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-ross/) > [I don't like the word 'autobiography.' I rather like the term 'autofiction.' The second you make a script out of the story of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjane-satrapi/i-don-t-like-the-word-autobiography-i-rather-like-the-term/) [Marjane Satrapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjane-satrapi/) > [Because I write fiction, I don't write autobiography, and to me they are very different things. The first-person narrative is a very intimate thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-atkinson/because-i-write-fiction-i-don-t-write-autobiography-and-to-me-they/) [Kate Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-atkinson/) > [“I don't think anyone could write a completely honest autobiography. I am sure no one could bear to read it: My Past Was An…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/i-don-t-think-anyone-could-write-a-completely-honest-autobiography-i/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) [Browse all 642 Autobiography quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/autobiography/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My grandfather started his autobiography before he died; he never finished it. 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