--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes holding on was all you could do." description: "\"Sometimes holding on was all you could do.\" — Kristin Hannah" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86d/kristin-hannah-1106_holding_sometimes-holding-on-was-all-you-could-d_1613292.png" --- # Sometimes holding on was all you could do. ![“Sometimes holding on was all you could do.” quote by Kristin Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86d/kristin-hannah-1106_holding_sometimes-holding-on-was-all-you-could-d_1613292.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86d/kristin-hannah-1106_holding_sometimes-holding-on-was-all-you-could-d_1613292.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86d/kristin-hannah-1106_holding_sometimes-holding-on-was-all-you-could-d_1613292.png) > “Sometimes holding on was all you could do.” [Kristin Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Holding on can be the only viable action when faced with overwhelming circumstances. **In simple terms:** Holding on may be all you can do. Key Takeaway Persist despite hardship. Themes resilience hope survival determination Mood somber hopeful Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - grief - illness - financial crisis - relationship strain Key Concepts psychology literature Questions to Reflect On - When is holding on harmful? - How can you know when to let go? A Different Perspective Clinging may prevent seeking help or change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Holding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holding/) [Holding on](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holding-on/) [Letting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/letting/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) ## Related quotes > [When letting go is less painful than holding on, then you know it's time to move on](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-letting-go-is-less-painful-than-holding-on-then-you-know-it-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is a balance of holding on and letting go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-a-balance-of-holding-on-and-letting-go/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Letting go is hard, but oftentimes holding on is harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanxx-s/letting-go-is-hard-but-oftentimes-holding-on-is-harder/) [JeanXX's](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanxx-s/) > [When a thing has served its purpose, it will go away. Sometimes it will break. At other times, it will simply die off. Then,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iyanla-vanzant/when-a-thing-has-served-its-purpose-it-will-go-away-sometimes-it-will/) [Iyanla Vanzant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iyanla-vanzant/) > [I will never know which to chose, letting go or holding on. They both end the same, but only one is worth it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-will-never-know-which-to-chose-letting-go-or-holding-on-they-both/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The key to being able to let go of all the stuff you're holding on to is knowing that you'll be okay if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-parkin/the-key-to-being-able-to-let-go-of-all-the-stuff-you-re-holding-on-to/) [John C. Parkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-parkin/) > [You cannot let go of anything if you cannot notice that you are holding it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-cannot-let-go-of-anything-if-you-cannot-notice-that-you-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sometimes you have to let go to see if there was anything worth holding onto.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/sometimes-you-have-to-let-go-to-see-if-there-was-anything-worth/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [Holding on to anything blocks wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/holding-on-to-anything-blocks-wisdom/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [Honestly, don't you feel silly holding on to things that just keep on hurting you? Let go...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wandini/honestly-don-t-you-feel-silly-holding-on-to-things-that-just-keep-on/) [Wandini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wandini/) > [Why should I even bother holding on when there is nothing to hold on to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-should-i-even-bother-holding-on-when-there-is-nothing-to-hold-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Holding on is tougher than letting go or simply quitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/holding-on-is-tougher-than-letting-go-or-simply-quitting/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Holding on may sound like the brave thing to do, the right thing to do, but holding on doesn't make you strong. You hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-dye/holding-on-may-sound-like-the-brave-thing-to-do-the-right-thing-to-do/) [Melissa Dye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-dye/) > [Why was I holding on to something that would never be mine? But isn't that what people do?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/why-was-i-holding-on-to-something-that-would-never-be-mine-but-isn-t/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [It was always in me to just put records out. I don't like holding on to records.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-dream/it-was-always-in-me-to-just-put-records-out-i-don-t-like-holding-on/) [The-Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-dream/) ## More by Kristin Hannah > [She still felt shell-shocked by all of it, numb. Beneath the numbness, though, was a raw and terrible anger that was unlike anything she'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/she-still-felt-shell-shocked-by-all-of-it-numb-beneath-the-numbness/) [Kristin Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/) > [“Terrible beautiful combination of happiness and pain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/terrible-beautiful-combination-of-happiness-and-pain/) [Kristin Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/) > [She waited for you in a thousand different ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/she-waited-for-you-in-a-thousand-different-ways/) [Kristin Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/) > [“Antoine took her in his arms. The scent of jasmine was intoxicating, and she knew suddenly, certainly, that from now on, whenever she smelled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/antoine-took-her-in-his-arms-the-scent-of-jasmine-was-intoxicating/) [Kristin Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/) > [what shall we drink to?" "How about family?" Stacy said, showing up just in time to pour a fourth shot. "To those who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/what-shall-we-drink-to-how-about-family-stacy-said-showing-up-just-in/) [Kristin Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/) > [He is a man, and he is afraid. This is not a good combination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/he-is-a-man-and-he-is-afraid-this-is-not-a-good-combination/) [Kristin Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/) > [Goddamn, sometimes it hurt to be free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/goddamn-sometimes-it-hurt-to-be-free/) [Kristin Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/) > [“I was not good at the whole making-death-a-positive-transition thing. How could I? I wanted her to fight to the last breath. It was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/i-was-not-good-at-the-whole-making-death-a-positive-transition-thing/) [Kristin Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/) > [“Kate heard the bravado in her friend’s voice and saw it in her eyes. “I prayed for you.” “You did?” Tully asked. “Wow. Thanks.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/kate-heard-the-bravado-in-her-friend-s-voice-and-saw-it-in-her-eyes-i/) [Kristin Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/) > [“The trip from Portland to New York City was like climbing Mount Everest without oxygen. It went on and on, and by the time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/the-trip-from-portland-to-new-york-city-was-like-climbing-mount/) [Kristin Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/) > [“So now books were her only friends. She'd read Lord of the Rings so often she could recite whole scenes by memory. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/so-now-books-were-her-only-friends-she-d-read-lord-of-the-rings-so/) [Kristin Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/) > [She used to tell me that she couldn't feel the sunlight anymore, not even when she was standing in it, not even when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/she-used-to-tell-me-that-she-couldn-t-feel-the-sunlight-anymore-not/) [Kristin Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/) > [“Tragedy was like that, a razor that sliced through time, severing the now from the before, incising the what-might-have-been from reality as cleanly as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/tragedy-was-like-that-a-razor-that-sliced-through-time-severing-the/) [Kristin Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/) > [“I want to imagine there will be peace when I am gone, that I will see all of the people I have loved and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/i-want-to-imagine-there-will-be-peace-when-i-am-gone-that-i-will-see/) [Kristin Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/) > [What good did it do to light the world on fire if she had to watch the glow alone?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/what-good-did-it-do-to-light-the-world-on-fire-if-she-had-to-watch/) [Kristin Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/) [Explore all 282 Kristin Hannah quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/) ## More Holding quotes > [We do not know which irresponsible Israeli prime minister will take office and decide to use nuclear weapons in the struggle against neighboring Arab…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mordechai-vanunu/we-do-not-know-which-irresponsible-israeli-prime-minister-will-take/) [Mordechai Vanunu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mordechai-vanunu/) > [If holding onto them requires you to lower your self-worth and self-respect let go of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/if-holding-onto-them-requires-you-to-lower-your-self-worth-and-self/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [Like, you can't tell a certain race, like, 'You're supposed to act this way, and you're not supposed to act this way because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kreayshawn/like-you-can-t-tell-a-certain-race-like-you-re-supposed-to-act-this/) [Kreayshawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kreayshawn/) > [Hold tenderly that which you cherish, for it is precious and a tight grip may crush it. Do not let the fear of dropping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-alberti/hold-tenderly-that-which-you-cherish-for-it-is-precious-and-a-tight/) [Bob Alberti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-alberti/) > [I can conquer the world with one hand, as long as you are holding the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-smith/i-can-conquer-the-world-with-one-hand-as-long-as-you-are-holding-the/) [Megan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-smith/) > [“Holding something doesn't make it yours. You realize at some point you're just keeping it back for yourself, because it's pulling away with equal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-silvey/holding-something-doesn-t-make-it-yours-you-realize-at-some-point-you/) [Craig Silvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-silvey/) > [“Forgiveness is about letting go of the past and not holding on to it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/forgiveness-is-about-letting-go-of-the-past-and-not-holding-on-to-it/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [“Loneliness is holding the one you love / When you know you might never hold him again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/loneliness-is-holding-the-one-you-love-when-you-know-you-might-never/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) > [If you're throwing punches or exerting energy but you're not breathing, you're holding your breath. That actually saps your strength, it saps your stamina.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-eubank-jr/if-you-re-throwing-punches-or-exerting-energy-but-you-re-not/) [Chris Eubank Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-eubank-jr/) > [“There is always power in holding a secret.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/there-is-always-power-in-holding-a-secret/) [Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/) > [I'm still holding on to something that I know will never happen, because I have this little piece of hope that someday, it will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-still-holding-on-to-something-that-i-know-will-never-happen/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The real reason you struggling with letting go is because you keep holding on to what they use to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ash-sweeney/the-real-reason-you-struggling-with-letting-go-is-because-you-keep/) [Ash Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ash-sweeney/) > [“It's the touching they both long for. The holding. Spent their whole lives, each without any.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-mcmann/it-s-the-touching-they-both-long-for-the-holding-spent-their-whole/) [Lisa McMann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-mcmann/) > [I want to stay in the ocean. I'm not going to be able to do that from some holding cell in Japan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-watson/i-want-to-stay-in-the-ocean-i-m-not-going-to-be-able-to-do-that-from/) [Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/) > [There's something so delicious about holding onto a secret; it's something just for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-han/there-s-something-so-delicious-about-holding-onto-a-secret-it-s/) [Jenny Han](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-han/) [Browse all 694 Holding quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holding/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Sometimes holding on was all you could do.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kristin Hannah" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/sometimes-holding-on-was-all-you-could-do/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Holding" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/sometimes-holding-on-was-all-you-could-do/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86d/kristin-hannah-1106_holding_sometimes-holding-on-was-all-you-could-d_1613292.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86d/kristin-hannah-1106_holding_sometimes-holding-on-was-all-you-could-d_1613292.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86d/kristin-hannah-1106_holding_sometimes-holding-on-was-all-you-could-d_1613292.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Sometimes holding on was all you could do.” — Kristin Hannah", "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": "Kristin Hannah", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Sometimes holding on was all you...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/sometimes-holding-on-was-all-you-could-do/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/sometimes-holding-on-was-all-you-could-do/#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 } } ] } ```