--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She was down to three customers, all…" description: "\"“She was down to three customers, all sitting at one table. There had never been more than a handful this evening, and Tory had known beforehand exactl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75a/kathleen-gilles-seidel-19099_christmas-eve_she-was-down-to-three-customers-all-sitt_426784.jpg" --- # She was down to three customers, all sitting at one table… ![“She was down to three customers, all sitting at one table. There had never been more than a handful this evening, and Tory had known beforehand exactly who her Christmas Eve customers would be. They were all watching It's a Wonderful Life. It made her think of Joe. In the movie, Jimmy Stewart…” quote by Kathleen Gilles Seidel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75a/kathleen-gilles-seidel-19099_christmas-eve_she-was-down-to-three-customers-all-sitt_426784.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75a/kathleen-gilles-seidel-19099_christmas-eve_she-was-down-to-three-customers-all-sitt_426784.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75a/kathleen-gilles-seidel-19099_christmas-eve_she-was-down-to-three-customers-all-sitt_426784.jpg) > ““She was down to three customers, all sitting at one table. There had never been more than a handful this evening, and Tory had known beforehand exactly who her Christmas Eve customers would be. They were all watching It's a Wonderful Life. It made her think of Joe. In the movie, Jimmy Stewart wanted to get on a train and leave the small town he had grown up in. He wanted to travel, to build things. But he never made it out. Instead, he stayed home, married, had a family—all the things Joe had been raised to do, all the things he wasn't doing now.”” [Kathleen Gilles Seidel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-gilles-seidel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A woman’s quiet Christmas Eve with a few customers watching a classic film triggers memories of a past love and unfulfilled dreams. **In simple terms:** Seeing a film on a calm night brings back thoughts of a former partner and missed opportunities. Key Takeaway Reflect on what you truly desire versus what you settle for. Themes loneliness nostalgia unfulfilled ambition Mood melancholic contemplative Type narrative emotional When to use this quote - holiday dinner - family gathering - movie night - personal reflection Key Concepts memory regret choice Questions to Reflect On - What does “staying home” mean for you? - How can you honor past dreams while embracing present life? A Different Perspective The film may idealize choices, overlooking practical realities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christmas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christmas/) [Christmas eve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christmas-eve/) [Jimmy stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jimmy-stewart/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Small town](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-town/) [Wonderful life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderful-life/) ## Related quotes > [I remember I was in high school and it was very late at night. I was in the middle of watching It's a Wonderful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-piven/i-remember-i-was-in-high-school-and-it-was-very-late-at-night-i-was/) [Jeremy Piven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-piven/) > [When I got off '24,' pretty soon after that I did a movie that took place in the '70s, this movie with Jimmy Caan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-hope/when-i-got-off-24-pretty-soon-after-that-i-did-a-movie-that-took/) [Leslie Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-hope/) > [Jimmy Stewart lived for movies, fought for his country, and died for love. Now isn't that a wonderful life?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-corliss/jimmy-stewart-lived-for-movies-fought-for-his-country-and-died-for/) [Richard Corliss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-corliss/) > [Some of Jimmy Stewart's performance in 'It's A Wonderful Life' is some of the most disturbing performance he ever did, when he falls apart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-o-russell/some-of-jimmy-stewart-s-performance-in-it-s-a-wonderful-life-is-some/) [David O. Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-o-russell/) > [“Jimmy Stewart wrote to my father on December 31, 1946, “More important than anything, thank you for giving us that idea, which I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-van-doren-stern/jimmy-stewart-wrote-to-my-father-on-december-31-1946-more-important/) [Philip Van Doren Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-van-doren-stern/) > [There are guys I admire. Like Jimmy Stewart and - a more modern example - Tom Hanks. They managed to do it and have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-reynolds/there-are-guys-i-admire-like-jimmy-stewart-and-a-more-modern-example/) [Ryan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-reynolds/) > [ “George Bailey: \[on Mary being caught naked in the bushes after her robe slips off\] This is a very interesting situation! Mary: Please give… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/it-s-a-wonderful-life/george-bailey-on-mary-being-caught-naked-in-the-bushes-after-her-robe/) [It's a Wonderful Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/it-s-a-wonderful-life/) > [When you're a kid, Kermit is Tom Hanks. He's Tom Hanks for kids or Jimmy Stewart for kids. He's truly the every man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-segel/when-you-re-a-kid-kermit-is-tom-hanks-he-s-tom-hanks-for-kids-or/) [Jason Segel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-segel/) > [If you start paying attention to Tom Hanks, you realize that he's not the Jimmy Stewart of our age. He's a very nice man.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/if-you-start-paying-attention-to-tom-hanks-you-realize-that-he-s-not/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [Jimmy Stewart said he stopped making movies because he didn't like the way he looked on screen anymore. I'm more the guy who says…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/jimmy-stewart-said-he-stopped-making-movies-because-he-didn-t-like/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [I would love Jimmy Stewart to play my life story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-michael-murray/i-would-love-jimmy-stewart-to-play-my-life-story/) [Chad Michael Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-michael-murray/) > [Jimmy Stewart was a very sincere, honest and straightforward man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wagner/jimmy-stewart-was-a-very-sincere-honest-and-straightforward-man/) [Robert Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wagner/) > [Jimmy Stewart and Lucille Ball were so unique.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-burnett/jimmy-stewart-and-lucille-ball-were-so-unique/) [Carol Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-burnett/) > [Daddy, when he drank, just became sweeter. There wasn't a mean thought in his body. I've always said he was like a drunk Jimmy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-burnett/daddy-when-he-drank-just-became-sweeter-there-wasn-t-a-mean-thought/) [Carol Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-burnett/) > [In college, my friend Melanie and I used to have weekly Jimmy Stewart viewings, and 'Harvey' seemed to make its way into the rotation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-sommer/in-college-my-friend-melanie-and-i-used-to-have-weekly-jimmy-stewart/) [Rich Sommer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-sommer/) ## More by Kathleen Gilles Seidel > [“Wags couldn't make it through the night without creeping over to Tory and whimpering that she had to use the ladies' room. So Tory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-gilles-seidel/wags-couldn-t-make-it-through-the-night-without-creeping-over-to-tory/) [Kathleen Gilles Seidel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-gilles-seidel/) > [“Life on the road was just boring. They would land at an airport and take a taxi to the hotel. There they would sit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-gilles-seidel/life-on-the-road-was-just-boring-they-would-land-at-an-airport-and/) [Kathleen Gilles Seidel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-gilles-seidel/) > [“You didn't have parents or society telling you that you should love one another because you were brothers, you just did it by yourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-gilles-seidel/you-didn-t-have-parents-or-society-telling-you-that-you-should-love/) [Kathleen Gilles Seidel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-gilles-seidel/) > [“beauty contests, she said seriously, they gave out scholarship awards. "It's the biggest scholarship program in the world—they told us that at the Miss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-gilles-seidel/beauty-contests-she-said-seriously-they-gave-out-scholarship-awards/) [Kathleen Gilles Seidel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-gilles-seidel/) > [“He knew why he was angry. Tory got angry when she cared; he got angry when he felt powerless. At Christmas, he had come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-gilles-seidel/he-knew-why-he-was-angry-tory-got-angry-when-she-cared-he-got-angry/) [Kathleen Gilles Seidel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-gilles-seidel/) > [“Yes, it's hard to start seeing your mother as she is, hard to push aside all the resentment and anger that you may feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-gilles-seidel/yes-it-s-hard-to-start-seeing-your-mother-as-she-is-hard-to-push/) [Kathleen Gilles Seidel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-gilles-seidel/) > [“It was nice, them having this kind of knowledge about each other. No one else knew this about him. She supposed in every person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-gilles-seidel/it-was-nice-them-having-this-kind-of-knowledge-about-each-other-no/) [Kathleen Gilles Seidel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-gilles-seidel/) > [“If I remember correctly, I called you an asshole doctor." "That's no more than the truth... except I'm not a proctologist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-gilles-seidel/if-i-remember-correctly-i-called-you-an-asshole-doctor-that-s-no-more/) [Kathleen Gilles Seidel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-gilles-seidel/) > [“Among a certain type of creative men, there was a history of strong, if difficult friendships. From Wordsworth and Coleridge to John Belushi and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-gilles-seidel/among-a-certain-type-of-creative-men-there-was-a-history-of-strong-if/) [Kathleen Gilles Seidel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-gilles-seidel/) > [“you also need rehearsal clothes and sitting-around-scaring-the-other-contestants clothes. I showed up in Atlantic City with eleven suitcases and twenty-three pairs of shoes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-gilles-seidel/you-also-need-rehearsal-clothes-and-sitting-around-scaring-the-other/) [Kathleen Gilles Seidel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-gilles-seidel/) > [“Listen, Joe, is your offer to oh and ah over my presents still good?" "Sure." "Then give me a minute to close up and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-gilles-seidel/listen-joe-is-your-offer-to-oh-and-ah-over-my-presents-still-good/) [Kathleen Gilles Seidel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-gilles-seidel/) > [“You're not making too much of this. You will love her until the stars fall. She looked like a figure in a hand-tinted woodcut…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-gilles-seidel/you-re-not-making-too-much-of-this-you-will-love-her-until-the-stars/) [Kathleen Gilles Seidel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-gilles-seidel/) > [“You sure did break that boy's heart." "I know," Krissa agreed. She didn't mind Jewel saying that. At least someone in this house had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-gilles-seidel/you-sure-did-break-that-boy-s-heart-i-know-krissa-agreed-she-didn-t/) [Kathleen Gilles Seidel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-gilles-seidel/) > [“Tory was starting to feel a little foolish standing here with her hands in the air. It was like the whole bar had assembled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-gilles-seidel/tory-was-starting-to-feel-a-little-foolish-standing-here-with-her/) [Kathleen Gilles Seidel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-gilles-seidel/) > [“Krissa had since learned a great deal about the drug Lithium and was now aware of how controversial it was.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-gilles-seidel/krissa-had-since-learned-a-great-deal-about-the-drug-lithium-and-was/) [Kathleen Gilles Seidel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-gilles-seidel/) [Explore all 33 Kathleen Gilles Seidel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-gilles-seidel/) ## More Christmas quotes > [The notion of a non-religious Christmas is ridiculous. But so is the insistence on the part of Christians that politicians and retailers carry out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/the-notion-of-a-non-religious-christmas-is-ridiculous-but-so-is-the/) [Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I once bought my kids a set of batteries for Christmas with a note on it saying, toys not included.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-manning/i-once-bought-my-kids-a-set-of-batteries-for-christmas-with-a-note-on/) [Bernard Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-manning/) > [May you have the spirit of Christmas which is Peace, the gladness of Christmas which is Hope, and the Heart of Christmas which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/may-you-have-the-spirit-of-christmas-which-is-peace-the-gladness-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To my future children; you will know the true meaning of Christmas just not you get gifts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-my-future-children-you-will-know-the-true-meaning-of-christmas/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No sane local official who has hung up an empty stocking over the municipal fireplace is going to shoot Santa Claus just before a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-smith/no-sane-local-official-who-has-hung-up-an-empty-stocking-over-the/) [Al Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-smith/) > [A new heart for a New Year, always!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/a-new-heart-for-a-new-year-always/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [Santa Claus has nothing to do with it," the latke said. "Christmas and Hanukah are completely different things." "But different things can often blend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/santa-claus-has-nothing-to-do-with-it-the-latke-said-christmas-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For Christmas one year I bought my son a BB gun. He bought me a t-shirt with a bulls eye on the back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-dangerfield/for-christmas-one-year-i-bought-my-son-a-bb-gun-he-bought-me-a-t/) [Rodney Dangerfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-dangerfield/) > [“Why did he hesitate? He finally admitted to himself that he was like an American child who was almost completely certain about Santa Claus,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/why-did-he-hesitate-he-finally-admitted-to-himself-that-he-was-like/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [There seems a magic in the very name of Christmas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/there-seems-a-magic-in-the-very-name-of-christmas/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [Heaven? Floating about with everyone you ever knew for eternity? Me family does me 'ed in after one day at xmas, I'd rather be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pilkington/heaven-floating-about-with-everyone-you-ever-knew-for-eternity-me/) [Karl Pilkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pilkington/) > [Like everyone in his right mind, I feared Santa Claus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/like-everyone-in-his-right-mind-i-feared-santa-claus/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [“I stopped keeping an eye out for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve because, when I was five, my mother told me that Santa was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/i-stopped-keeping-an-eye-out-for-santa-claus-on-christmas-eve-because/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [On Hanukkah, the first dark night, Light yourself a candle bright. I'll you, if you will me invite To dance within that gentle light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-gordon/on-hanukkah-the-first-dark-night-light-yourself-a-candle-bright-i-ll/) [Nick Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-gordon/) [Browse all 5,100 Christmas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christmas/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“She was down to three customers, all sitting at one table. There had never been more than a handful this evening, and Tory had known beforehand exactly who her Christmas Eve customers would be. They were all watching It's a Wonderful Life. It made her think of Joe. In the movie, Jimmy Stewart wanted to get on a train and leave the small town he had grown up in. He wanted to travel, to build things. But he never made it out. 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