--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My father passing really, in many ways…" description: "\"My father passing really, in many ways, was a gift: It made me look at my own happiness and sense of self and realize that I wasn't happy. I had checke..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/kt-tunstall-3615_father_my-father-passing-really-in-many-ways-wa_2312388.png" --- # My father passing really, in many ways, was a gift: It… ![“My father passing really, in many ways, was a gift: It made me look at my own happiness and sense of self and realize that I wasn't happy. I had checked all these boxes and achieved all this stuff that I thought made you happy. And I was miserable.” quote by KT Tunstall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/kt-tunstall-3615_father_my-father-passing-really-in-many-ways-wa_2312388.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/kt-tunstall-3615_father_my-father-passing-really-in-many-ways-wa_2312388.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/kt-tunstall-3615_father_my-father-passing-really-in-many-ways-wa_2312388.png) > “My father passing really, in many ways, was a gift: It made me look at my own happiness and sense of self and realize that I wasn't happy. I had checked all these boxes and achieved all this stuff that I thought made you happy. And I was miserable.” [KT Tunstall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kt-tunstall/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A personal loss revealed hidden dissatisfaction, prompting self‑examination of true happiness. **In simple terms:** Loss exposed unhappiness. Key Takeaway Reflect on what truly fulfills you. Themes self‑discovery grief authenticity Mood reflective somber Type personal motivational When to use this quote - career evaluation - relationship assessment - mental health - goal setting Key Concepts existential reflection psychology Questions to Reflect On - What does happiness mean to you? - How can you align actions with authentic desires? A Different Perspective Insight alone doesn't guarantee change; action needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Father Passing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father-passing-227664/) [Gift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gift/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happiness Sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness-sense-1026211/) [Look](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look/) [Look Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look-happiness-253407/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Sense of self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sense-of-self/) [Wasn Happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wasn-happy/) ## Related quotes > [He brought a sensibility and a hard-edged reasonableness to operating restaurants that had a lasting impact on me and still affects how I run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/he-brought-a-sensibility-and-a-hard-edged-reasonableness-to-operating/) [Joe Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bastianich/) > [Learning of my father's passing at age 55 not only shattered the world, far from home, that had become my reality, but catapulted my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cope/learning-of-my-father-s-passing-at-age-55-not-only-shattered-the/) [Tim Cope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cope/) > [My father's passing comes with sorrow and grief for me, for my mother, for my brothers, and for my sisters. He was a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghan-mccain/my-father-s-passing-comes-with-sorrow-and-grief-for-me-for-my-mother/) [Meghan McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-mccain/) > [A lot of people ask me about my father's passing when I was young, which I'm never comfortable with. I invariably move around that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/a-lot-of-people-ask-me-about-my-father-s-passing-when-i-was-young/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [A father passing by his son's bedroom was astonished to see that his bed was nicely made and everything was picked up. Then he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author-name/a-father-passing-by-his-son-s-bedroom-was-astonished-to-see-that-his/) [Author Name](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/author-name/) > [I've heard stories of other people that are similar stories to me - their mother or father passing away. People have come out to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-mark/i-ve-heard-stories-of-other-people-that-are-similar-stories-to-me/) [Amber Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-mark/) > [Happiness is the sense that one matters. Happiness is an abiding enthusiasm. Happiness is single-mindedness. Happiness is whole-heartedness. Happiness is a by-product. Happiness is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shoemaker/happiness-is-the-sense-that-one-matters-happiness-is-an-abiding/) [Sam Shoemaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shoemaker/) > [The circumstances of our lives actually matter less to our happiness than the sense of control we feel over our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-circumstances-of-our-lives-actually-matter-less-to-our-happiness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Pride is founded not on the sense of happiness, but on the sense of power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/pride-is-founded-not-on-the-sense-of-happiness-but-on-the-sense-of/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Happiness, in one sense, is a function of how closely our world conforms to the infinite variety of human preference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/happiness-in-one-sense-is-a-function-of-how-closely-our-world/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [My popularity, my happiness and sense of worth depend to no small extent upon my skill in dealing with people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/my-popularity-my-happiness-and-sense-of-worth-depend-to-no-small/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [There are days when I walk through the center of Stockholm when I get this sudden feeling of happiness - a sense of belonging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bj-rn-ulvaeus/there-are-days-when-i-walk-through-the-center-of-stockholm-when-i-get/) [Bjorn Ulvaeus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bj-rn-ulvaeus/) > [One recipe for happiness is to have to sense of entitlement.' To this she added a star and noted at the bottom of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/one-recipe-for-happiness-is-to-have-to-sense-of-entitlement-to-this/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [I believe the ultimate aim of all human beings is to obtain happiness and a sense of fulfillment... I have always stressed the importance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/i-believe-the-ultimate-aim-of-all-human-beings-is-to-obtain-happiness/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [The fact is, the secret of happiness is the sense of proportion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-deland/the-fact-is-the-secret-of-happiness-is-the-sense-of-proportion/) [Margaret Deland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-deland/) ## More by KT Tunstall > [It's a shame that when you've actually lived some life and have something to write about, they're saying you're too old to come out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kt-tunstall/it-s-a-shame-that-when-you-ve-actually-lived-some-life-and-have/) [KT Tunstall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kt-tunstall/) > [Skiing fast feels like complete freedom to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kt-tunstall/skiing-fast-feels-like-complete-freedom-to-me/) [KT Tunstall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kt-tunstall/) > [My father had Parkinson's, though he actually died following a bicycle accident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kt-tunstall/my-father-had-parkinson-s-though-he-actually-died-following-a-bicycle/) [KT Tunstall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kt-tunstall/) > [KIN' is basically a kind of rite of passage, scars-and-all celebration of going through difficult things in your life and being better for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kt-tunstall/kin-is-basically-a-kind-of-rite-of-passage-scars-and-all-celebration/) [KT Tunstall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kt-tunstall/) > [I was very into tribal techno and used to go and really lose myself in great dance music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kt-tunstall/i-was-very-into-tribal-techno-and-used-to-go-and-really-lose-myself/) [KT Tunstall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kt-tunstall/) > [I don't let housekeeping in when I stay in hotels. It cuts down on all the caustic cleaning products and aggressive water usage, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kt-tunstall/i-don-t-let-housekeeping-in-when-i-stay-in-hotels-it-cuts-down-on-all/) [KT Tunstall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kt-tunstall/) > [The topography of L.A. is fascinating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kt-tunstall/the-topography-of-l-a-is-fascinating/) [KT Tunstall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kt-tunstall/) > [It was blazing sunshine and I went on in a turquoise neck muff, glamorous dress and muddy boots and just had the best gig,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kt-tunstall/it-was-blazing-sunshine-and-i-went-on-in-a-turquoise-neck-muff/) [KT Tunstall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kt-tunstall/) > [I think it was Dad who gave me my nickname 'Katy Custard,' recognising my deep, positive and lasting relationship with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kt-tunstall/i-think-it-was-dad-who-gave-me-my-nickname-katy-custard-recognising/) [KT Tunstall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kt-tunstall/) > [Music for me has always been a vent and has always been a great outlet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kt-tunstall/music-for-me-has-always-been-a-vent-and-has-always-been-a-great-outlet/) [KT Tunstall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kt-tunstall/) > [Albums tend to dictate what they need. Every time I have made an album it sort of feels like it is decided for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kt-tunstall/albums-tend-to-dictate-what-they-need-every-time-i-have-made-an-album/) [KT Tunstall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kt-tunstall/) > [If your parents only listen to jazz or folk, you're like one of those trees you see in botanic gardens that have wire frames…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kt-tunstall/if-your-parents-only-listen-to-jazz-or-folk-you-re-like-one-of-those/) [KT Tunstall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kt-tunstall/) > [Touring is such a major sacrifice, especially as you get older, to be away from friends and family and home and any sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kt-tunstall/touring-is-such-a-major-sacrifice-especially-as-you-get-older-to-be/) [KT Tunstall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kt-tunstall/) > [One of the main reasons that I love doing what I do is because it's unpredictable and I don't know what's coming next. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kt-tunstall/one-of-the-main-reasons-that-i-love-doing-what-i-do-is-because-it-s/) [KT Tunstall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kt-tunstall/) > [It's lovely to get to say hello to people you've always admired from afar, but the fun really starts out front with people going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kt-tunstall/it-s-lovely-to-get-to-say-hello-to-people-you-ve-always-admired-from/) [KT Tunstall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kt-tunstall/) [Explore all 126 KT Tunstall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kt-tunstall/) ## More Father quotes > [Whatever meaning 'Annie's Song' had for me on a personal level, there was also a larger context. It could just as easily have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-denver/whatever-meaning-annie-s-song-had-for-me-on-a-personal-level-there/) [John Denver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-denver/) > [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [(knitting while on a motorcycle) "For several years she knitted in secret (my father would not approve; she was to concentrate on motorcycling and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-zimmermann/knitting-while-on-a-motorcycle-for-several-years-she-knitted-in/) [Elizabeth Zimmermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-zimmermann/) > [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/) [Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/) > [My parents were not musical, and they were not effervescent people; everything was very quiet. The music that I played was loud; it used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-mclean/my-parents-were-not-musical-and-they-were-not-effervescent-people/) [Don McLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-mclean/) > [“My father called twice and left a voicemail—who does that?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-erickson/my-father-called-twice-and-left-a-voicemail-who-does-that/) [Megan Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-erickson/) > [My father longed for a better life for us, and when I was nine he got a job as a heart surgeon in Belfast.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-melua/my-father-longed-for-a-better-life-for-us-and-when-i-was-nine-he-got/) [Katie Melua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-melua/) > [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/) [Liza Soberano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-soberano/) > [The old men of the village of Mahotière say that the Mistress of the Water is a mulatto woman. At midnight she comes out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/the-old-men-of-the-village-of-mahoti-re-say-that-the-mistress-of-the/) [Jacques Roumain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-roumain/) > [“I don’t know. We all have to bear things, Ari. All of us. Your father has to bear the war and what it did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-know-we-all-have-to-bear-things-ari-all-of-us-your-father-has/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“This was, I sometimes thought, the last gift my father gave me. And the best: His death stood out as the supreme-o excuse for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-stahl/this-was-i-sometimes-thought-the-last-gift-my-father-gave-me-and-the/) [Jerry Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-stahl/) > [My father was very encouraging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-nutini/my-father-was-very-encouraging/) [Paolo Nutini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-nutini/) > [I'm a strange mixture of my mother's curiosity; my father, who grew up the son of the manse in a Presbyterian family, who had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/i-m-a-strange-mixture-of-my-mother-s-curiosity-my-father-who-grew-up/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [It is a sweet thing that we serve a dissatisfied God who has destinations in mind for us that we would never choose for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-david-tripp/it-is-a-sweet-thing-that-we-serve-a-dissatisfied-god-who-has/) [Paul David Tripp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-david-tripp/) > [Liesel observed the strangeness of her foster father's eyes. They were made of kindness, and silver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/liesel-observed-the-strangeness-of-her-foster-father-s-eyes-they-were/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) [Browse all 19,784 Father quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My father passing really, in many ways, was a gift: It made me look at my own happiness and sense of self and realize that I wasn't happy. I had checked all these boxes and achieved all this stuff that I thought made you happy. 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