---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That was the problem with grieving one…"
description: "\"“That was the problem with grieving one child in a family with other children. In my despair over losing Riley, I’d lost my daughter too.”\" — Leslie A...."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/699/leslie-a-gordon-60958_children_that-was-the-problem-with-grieving-one-c_1157869.jpg"
---

#  That was the problem with grieving one child in a family…

![“That was the problem with grieving one child in a family with other children. In my despair over losing Riley, I’d lost my daughter too.” quote by Leslie A. Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/699/leslie-a-gordon-60958_children_that-was-the-problem-with-grieving-one-c_1157869.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/699/leslie-a-gordon-60958_children_that-was-the-problem-with-grieving-one-c_1157869.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/699/leslie-a-gordon-60958_children_that-was-the-problem-with-grieving-one-c_1157869.jpg)

> ““That was the problem with grieving one child in a family with other children. In my despair over losing Riley, I’d lost my daughter too.””

[Leslie A. Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-a-gordon/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Losing one child can amplify grief, making it feel like multiple losses; the pain intertwines with existing family dynamics.

**In simple terms:** Grief can feel compounded when multiple loved ones are lost.

Key Takeaway

Acknowledge each loss individually.

Themes

grief family loss psychology

Mood

somber empathetic

Type

therapeutic reflective

When to use this quote

- counseling
- support groups
- family discussions
- memory preservation

Key Concepts

compounded trauma emotional processing family systems

Questions to Reflect On

- How can families honor each child's memory separately?
- What coping strategies help differentiate overlapping grief?

A Different Perspective

Focusing on one loss may overlook the unique grief of each child.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Grieving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grieving/) [Grieving Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grieving-child-3287174/) [Losing Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/losing-riley-3301942/) [Problem Grieving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem-grieving-3301941/) [Riley Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/riley-lost-3301943/)

## Related quotes

> [I was working in, being a single parent with a grieving child of five years old. It was horrendous. I couldn't go out much,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-toop/i-was-working-in-being-a-single-parent-with-a-grieving-child-of-five/)

[David Toop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-toop/)

> [Any kind of grieving that is not allowed causes a break. In our culture, grieving in public is not encouraged, but in other cultures,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-ripley/any-kind-of-grieving-that-is-not-allowed-causes-a-break-in-our/)

[Alice Ripley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-ripley/)

> [Or maybe a person is just made up of a lot of peopleMaybe we’re accumulating these new selves all the time. Hauling them in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jandy-nelson/or-maybe-a-person-is-just-made-up-of-a-lot-of-peoplemaybe-we-re/)

[Jandy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jandy-nelson/)

> [Those who grieve frequently find themselves alone. Missed is the laughter of children, the commotion of teenagers, and the tender, loving concern of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/those-who-grieve-frequently-find-themselves-alone-missed-is-the/)

[Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/)

> [In general satire, every man perceives A slight attack, yet neither fears nor grieves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-crabbe/in-general-satire-every-man-perceives-a-slight-attack-yet-neither/)

[George Crabbe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-crabbe/)

> [I never could keep a promise. I do not blame myself for this weakness, because the fault must lie in my physical organization. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-never-could-keep-a-promise-i-do-not-blame-myself-for-this-weakness/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [“There's always a last time. If you could remember every last time, you'd never stop grieving.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/there-s-always-a-last-time-if-you-could-remember-every-last-time-you/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [The longer I live, the more it grieves me to see man, who occupies his supreme place for the very purpose of imposing his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/the-longer-i-live-the-more-it-grieves-me-to-see-man-who-occupies-his/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [Birth, life, death is a cycle. And they're all beautiful, you celebrate all of them. Animals do grieve, but they move on. That's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/birth-life-death-is-a-cycle-and-they-re-all-beautiful-you-celebrate/)

[Cesar Millan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/)

> [These are the intensities that one cannot live with, that he has to outgrow if he wants to survive. But who can help grieving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/these-are-the-intensities-that-one-cannot-live-with-that-he-has-to/)

[Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/)

> [... I think we grieve forever, but that goes for love too, fortunately for us all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-k-fisher/i-think-we-grieve-forever-but-that-goes-for-love-too-fortunately-for/)

[M. F. K. Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-k-fisher/)

> [When we don't get what we want, there's a legitimate grieving, and then the spiritual journey truly begins, because not getting what we want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-nepo/when-we-don-t-get-what-we-want-there-s-a-legitimate-grieving-and-then/)

[Mark Nepo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-nepo/)

> [“...what happens when you return and find nothing but a hollowed shell, shingles and floor, walls and echoes and the light that lead you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellie-elmore/what-happens-when-you-return-and-find-nothing-but-a-hollowed-shell/)

[Kellie Elmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellie-elmore/)

> [Certainly, it is. Love is love, and loss is loss. We all love, and we all die, and everyone suffers the pain of grieving.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynsay-sands/certainly-it-is-love-is-love-and-loss-is-loss-we-all-love-and-we-all/)

[Lynsay Sands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynsay-sands/)

> [This is a proof of a well-trained mind, to rejoice in what is good and to grieve at the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/this-is-a-proof-of-a-well-trained-mind-to-rejoice-in-what-is-good-and/)

[Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/)

## More by Leslie A. Gordon

> [“I was disinterested in everything, even in Ethan. Even, I was ashamed to admit, in Ella. I didn’t know where else I wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-a-gordon/i-was-disinterested-in-everything-even-in-ethan-even-i-was-ashamed-to/)

[Leslie A. Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-a-gordon/)

> [“Parenthood doesn’t improve one’s character, it exposes it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-a-gordon/parenthood-doesn-t-improve-one-s-character-it-exposes-it/)

[Leslie A. Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-a-gordon/)

> [“…what happened to my little brother had to fit into my life, not consume or define it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-a-gordon/what-happened-to-my-little-brother-had-to-fit-into-my-life-not/)

[Leslie A. Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-a-gordon/)

> [“One of the worst things about burying a child is the stress of wondering.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-a-gordon/one-of-the-worst-things-about-burying-a-child-is-the-stress-of/)

[Leslie A. Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-a-gordon/)

[Explore all 5 Leslie A. Gordon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-a-gordon/)

## More Children quotes

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/)

[Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/)

> [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/)

[Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/)

> [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/)

[Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/)

> [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/)

[Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/)

> [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/)

[Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/)

> [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/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/)

[Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/)

> [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/)

[Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/)

> [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/)

[Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/)

> [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/)

[Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/)

> [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/)

[Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/)

[Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“That was the problem with grieving one child in a family with other children. In my despair over losing Riley, I’d lost my daughter too.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Leslie A. Gordon"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-a-gordon/that-was-the-problem-with-grieving-one-child-in-a-family-with-other/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Children"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-a-gordon/that-was-the-problem-with-grieving-one-child-in-a-family-with-other/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/699/leslie-a-gordon-60958_children_that-was-the-problem-with-grieving-one-c_1157869.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/699/leslie-a-gordon-60958_children_that-was-the-problem-with-grieving-one-c_1157869.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/699/leslie-a-gordon-60958_children_that-was-the-problem-with-grieving-one-c_1157869.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“That was the problem with grieving one child in a family with other children. In my despair over losing…” — Leslie A. Gordon",
                "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": "Leslie A. Gordon",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-a-gordon/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“That was the problem with grieving...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-a-gordon/that-was-the-problem-with-grieving-one-child-in-a-family-with-other/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-a-gordon/that-was-the-problem-with-grieving-one-child-in-a-family-with-other/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
