--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had a great life even before 'The…" description: "\"I had a great life even before 'The Memory Keeper's Daughter' took off. I really enjoy teaching.\" — Kim Edwards" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c2/kim-edwards-3145_before_i-had-a-great-life-even-before-the-memor_3089899.jpg" --- # I had a great life even before 'The Memory Keeper's… ![“I had a great life even before 'The Memory Keeper's Daughter' took off. I really enjoy teaching.” quote by Kim Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c2/kim-edwards-3145_before_i-had-a-great-life-even-before-the-memor_3089899.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c2/kim-edwards-3145_before_i-had-a-great-life-even-before-the-memor_3089899.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c2/kim-edwards-3145_before_i-had-a-great-life-even-before-the-memor_3089899.jpg) > “I had a great life even before 'The Memory Keeper's Daughter' took off. I really enjoy teaching.” [Kim Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-edwards/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A fulfilling life can exist before fame; teaching brings personal joy independent of literary success. **In simple terms:** Life can be rewarding before fame. Key Takeaway Value personal passions over external validation. Themes fulfillment teaching career Mood thoughtful inspirational Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - education - writing - public speaking - career planning Key Concepts personal satisfaction career fulfillment Questions to Reflect On - What non‑fame activities bring you joy? - How do you balance personal joy with public expectations? A Different Perspective Success in one area doesn't guarantee overall happiness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Before](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/before/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Daughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daughter/) [Enjoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enjoy/) [Enjoy Teaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enjoy-teaching-886823/) [Even](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/even/) [Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great/) [Great life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-life/) [Had](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/had/) [Keeper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/keeper/) [Keeper Daughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/keeper-daughter-4579846/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-memory/) [Memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory/) [Memory Keeper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory-keeper-4579845/) [Off](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/off/) [Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really/) [Teaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teaching/) [Took](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/took/) ## Related quotes > [I love 'Memory Keeper's Daughter,' but in some ways I think 'The Lake of Dreams' is a stronger book. I was able to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-edwards/i-love-memory-keeper-s-daughter-but-in-some-ways-i-think-the-lake-of/) [Kim Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-edwards/) > [There was a sense that there was a lot of word of mouth happening with 'The Memory Keeper's Daughter,' even in hardcover.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-edwards/there-was-a-sense-that-there-was-a-lot-of-word-of-mouth-happening/) [Kim Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-edwards/) > [The secret at the heart of 'The Memory Keeper's Daughter' is something everybody, except for some of the characters, knows in Chapter 1. Some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-edwards/the-secret-at-the-heart-of-the-memory-keeper-s-daughter-is-something/) [Kim Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-edwards/) > [“Here’s her story, a tale of the bear-keeper’s daughter and the Empire: what happened to her and what happened because of her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-strickland/here-s-her-story-a-tale-of-the-bear-keeper-s-daughter-and-the-empire/) [Carol Strickland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-strickland/) > [In my teaching, I try to expose my students to the widest range of aesthetic possibilities, so I'll offer them stories from Anton Chekhov…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chang-rae-lee/in-my-teaching-i-try-to-expose-my-students-to-the-widest-range-of/) [Chang-Rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chang-rae-lee/) > [I was never really cut out to be a student, I prefer to actually work and get a project done and learn that way-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-golightly/i-was-never-really-cut-out-to-be-a-student-i-prefer-to-actually-work/) [Holly Golightly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-golightly/) > [My kids have become wonderful dancers themselves and enjoy teaching just as much as I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-burgess/my-kids-have-become-wonderful-dancers-themselves-and-enjoy-teaching/) [Bobby Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-burgess/) > [I think if you enjoy teaching, if you enjoy talking about your craft, that's probably the best way to do it... because once a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-gwynn/i-think-if-you-enjoy-teaching-if-you-enjoy-talking-about-your-craft/) [Tony Gwynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-gwynn/) > [I don't like having a teaching job - office hours and conferences and committees and bosses and all that - but I tend to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandar-hemon/i-don-t-like-having-a-teaching-job-office-hours-and-conferences-and/) [Aleksandar Hemon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandar-hemon/) > [One thing I don't want to feel is marketplace pressure, so I'm really glad I enjoy teaching because I can rely on that for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/one-thing-i-don-t-want-to-feel-is-marketplace-pressure-so-i-m-really/) [Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/) > [After Memory Keepers Daughter, it took me a few months to shut out the world. I really had to turn off the Internet and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-edwards/after-memory-keepers-daughter-it-took-me-a-few-months-to-shut-out-the/) [Kim Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-edwards/) > [Most of what we know about human life we know from asking people to remember the past, and as we know, hindsight is anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-waldinger/most-of-what-we-know-about-human-life-we-know-from-asking-people-to/) [Robert J. Waldinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-waldinger/) > [Life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quickly you hardly catch it going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/life-is-all-memory-except-for-the-one-present-moment-that-goes-by-you/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [“The year that followed - was it the happiest year of his own life? He often thought so, even knowing that such a thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-strout/the-year-that-followed-was-it-the-happiest-year-of-his-own-life-he/) [Elizabeth Strout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-strout/) > [History is the witness of the times, the light of truth, the life of memory, the teacher of life, the messenger of antiquity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/history-is-the-witness-of-the-times-the-light-of-truth-the-life-of/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) ## More by Kim Edwards > [In writing, I want to be remembered for telling good stories in beautiful and powerful language, using the poetry of words to reflect the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-edwards/in-writing-i-want-to-be-remembered-for-telling-good-stories-in/) [Kim Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-edwards/) > [Its impossible to control the reception of your work - the only thing you can control is the experience of writing itself, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-edwards/its-impossible-to-control-the-reception-of-your-work-the-only-thing/) [Kim Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-edwards/) > [My first job was in a nursing home - a terrible place in retrospect. It was in an old house, and the residents were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-edwards/my-first-job-was-in-a-nursing-home-a-terrible-place-in-retrospect-it/) [Kim Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-edwards/) > [I've been accused of trying too hard to rescue people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-edwards/i-ve-been-accused-of-trying-too-hard-to-rescue-people/) [Kim Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-edwards/) > [“Distance in a straight line has no mystery. The mystery is in the sphere.   —Thomas Mann, Joseph and His Brothers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-edwards/distance-in-a-straight-line-has-no-mystery-the-mystery-is-in-the/) [Kim Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-edwards/) > [Music is like you touch the pulse of the world. Music is always happening, and sometimes you get to touch it for a while,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-edwards/music-is-like-you-touch-the-pulse-of-the-world-music-is-always/) [Kim Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-edwards/) > [This was her life. Not the life she had once dreamed of, not a life her younger self would ever have imagined or desired,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-edwards/this-was-her-life-not-the-life-she-had-once-dreamed-of-not-a-life-her/) [Kim Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-edwards/) > [Lately, the world felt fragile, like a blown egg, as if it might shatter beneath a careless touch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-edwards/lately-the-world-felt-fragile-like-a-blown-egg-as-if-it-might-shatter/) [Kim Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-edwards/) > [He fished in his pocket for his keys and instead pulled out the last geode, gray and smooth, earth-shaped. He held it, warming in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-edwards/he-fished-in-his-pocket-for-his-keys-and-instead-pulled-out-the-last/) [Kim Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-edwards/) > [Away from the bright motion of the party, she carried her sadness like a dark stone clenched in her palm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-edwards/away-from-the-bright-motion-of-the-party-she-carried-her-sadness-like/) [Kim Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-edwards/) > [Norah watched him, serious and utterly absorbed in his task, overcome by the simple fact of his existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-edwards/norah-watched-him-serious-and-utterly-absorbed-in-his-task-overcome/) [Kim Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-edwards/) > [“Anything can happen. But what goes wrong isn’t your fault. You can’t spend the rest of your life tiptoeing around to try and avert…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-edwards/anything-can-happen-but-what-goes-wrong-isn-t-your-fault-you-can-t/) [Kim Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-edwards/) > [Though Lexington is not a small town, it sometimes feels like one, with circles of acquaintance overlapping once, then again; the person you meet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-edwards/though-lexington-is-not-a-small-town-it-sometimes-feels-like-one-with/) [Kim Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-edwards/) > [“It's a kind of power, isn't it, knowing a secret? But lately I don't like it so much, knowing this. It's not really mine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-edwards/it-s-a-kind-of-power-isn-t-it-knowing-a-secret-but-lately-i-don-t/) [Kim Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-edwards/) > [After Memory Keepers Daughter, it took me a few months to shut out the world. I really had to turn off the Internet and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-edwards/after-memory-keepers-daughter-it-took-me-a-few-months-to-shut-out-the/) [Kim Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-edwards/) [Explore all 136 Kim Edwards quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-edwards/) ## More Before quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [I want to make myself and the crowd happy by way of something different, and that makes things difficult. I'm never playing something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiesto/i-want-to-make-myself-and-the-crowd-happy-by-way-of-something/) [Tiesto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiesto/) > [My writing routine is: get son off to school and sit down at 8 A.M. I read what I wrote the day before, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-chevalier/my-writing-routine-is-get-son-off-to-school-and-sit-down-at-8-a-m-i/) [Tracy Chevalier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-chevalier/) > [There aren't traditions of freedom in a place like Iraq. They're going to have to come to grips with a concept that they hadn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-wallop/there-aren-t-traditions-of-freedom-in-a-place-like-iraq-they-re-going/) [Malcolm Wallop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-wallop/) > [I don't like just traveling in for a short time. I've done that before, because sometimes you work for magazines and they have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-sacco/i-don-t-like-just-traveling-in-for-a-short-time-i-ve-done-that-before/) [Joe Sacco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-sacco/) > [Music is almost like a therapy for me. It helps keep me centered and think straight. Before I discovered it, I was walking around,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/music-is-almost-like-a-therapy-for-me-it-helps-keep-me-centered-and/) [Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/) > [My first company, Pure Software, was exciting and innovative in the first few years and bureaucratic and painful in the last few before it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reed-hastings/my-first-company-pure-software-was-exciting-and-innovative-in-the/) [Reed Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reed-hastings/) > [For the Russian masses, the proletarians, knew for certain, and already saw during the war, and in part before their very eyes, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-gorter/for-the-russian-masses-the-proletarians-knew-for-certain-and-already/) [Herman Gorter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-gorter/) > [The Constitution is very clear on the - on the declaration of war or reacting to international crimes - crimes against nations. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-pitts/the-constitution-is-very-clear-on-the-on-the-declaration-of-war-or/) [Joe Pitts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-pitts/) > [I've been told before, and I tend to believe it, I'm not like most actresses out there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moira-kelly/i-ve-been-told-before-and-i-tend-to-believe-it-i-m-not-like-most/) [Moira Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moira-kelly/) > [Before I got addicted to comedy, I was seriously thinking about playing tennis full time. I joined the tennis team and played with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrot-top/before-i-got-addicted-to-comedy-i-was-seriously-thinking-about/) [Carrot Top](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrot-top/) > [But even before I was in the military, I was extremely jumpy when asleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/but-even-before-i-was-in-the-military-i-was-extremely-jumpy-when/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [When I'm making stuff, the thing that excites me most is not the result, but the process and trying to do something I've never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/when-i-m-making-stuff-the-thing-that-excites-me-most-is-not-the/) [Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) > [I've pulled ticks off of me before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-ve-pulled-ticks-off-of-me-before/) [Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/) > [You know, before I would think, my cab driver hates me. Now I think my limo driver hates me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-romano/you-know-before-i-would-think-my-cab-driver-hates-me-now-i-think-my/) [Ray Romano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-romano/) [Browse all 4,123 Before quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/before/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I had a great life even before 'The Memory Keeper's Daughter' took off. 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