--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In Ridgeborough, when Deming Guo was no…" description: "\"“In Ridgeborough, when Deming Guo was no longer a name that was said aloud, he used to picture the Other Deming and Other Mama, still living in Queens...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce8/lisa-ko-19640_queens_in-ridgeborough-when-deming-guo-was-no-l_93519.jpg" --- # In Ridgeborough, when Deming Guo was no longer a name that… ![“In Ridgeborough, when Deming Guo was no longer a name that was said aloud, he used to picture the Other Deming and Other Mama, still living in Queens. It was a sort of comfort, bittersweet; at least they'd remained together.” quote by Lisa Ko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce8/lisa-ko-19640_queens_in-ridgeborough-when-deming-guo-was-no-l_93519.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce8/lisa-ko-19640_queens_in-ridgeborough-when-deming-guo-was-no-l_93519.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce8/lisa-ko-19640_queens_in-ridgeborough-when-deming-guo-was-no-l_93519.jpg) > ““In Ridgeborough, when Deming Guo was no longer a name that was said aloud, he used to picture the Other Deming and Other Mama, still living in Queens. It was a sort of comfort, bittersweet; at least they'd remained together.”” [Lisa Ko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-ko/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator finds solace in imagining an alternate version of a person who persists in memory, using this mental construct to cope with loss and maintain a sense of continuity. **In simple terms:** Imagined alternate selves as coping mechanisms. Key Takeaway Memory can be reshaped to sustain emotional comfort. Themes memory loss imagination comfort identity Mood bittersweet hopeful introspective Type fictional vignette reflective memoir When to use this quote - mourning a loved one - narrative therapy - creative writing Key Concepts grief psychological resilience Practical Applications - memoir writing - support‑group storytelling Questions to Reflect On - How does imagining an alternate self affect grieving? - What limits exist for this mental strategy? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [The queen of virtues is the recognition of one's own flaws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/the-queen-of-virtues-is-the-recognition-of-one-s-own-flaws/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) > [The first time I played golf was in Flushing Meadows, Queens, when I was about 16 or 17. They had an 18-hole pitch-and-putt. 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Sometimes if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/in-the-games-of-queens-and-kings-we-leave-our-dreams-at-the-door-and/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [I do not so much rejoice that God hath made me to be a Queen, as to be a Queen over so thankful a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/i-do-not-so-much-rejoice-that-god-hath-made-me-to-be-a-queen-as-to-be/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) > [She is more Mother than Queen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-of-lisieux/she-is-more-mother-than-queen/) [Therese of Lisieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-of-lisieux/) ## More by Lisa Ko > [“You could try to do all the right things and still feel wrong inside.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-ko/you-could-try-to-do-all-the-right-things-and-still-feel-wrong-inside/) [Lisa Ko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-ko/) > [“Daniel was malleable, everyone and no one, a collector of moods, a careful observer of the right thing to say. He watched other people’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-ko/daniel-was-malleable-everyone-and-no-one-a-collector-of-moods-a/) [Lisa Ko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-ko/) > [“If he could just talk to his mother in person, maybe he could figure out who he should be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-ko/if-he-could-just-talk-to-his-mother-in-person-maybe-he-could-figure/) [Lisa Ko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-ko/) > [“The other instructors, even his mother, laughed at him for making work harder for himself and not teaching the workbook. But his students were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-ko/the-other-instructors-even-his-mother-laughed-at-him-for-making-work/) [Lisa Ko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-ko/) > [“The boat rocked in the waves, and as I saw the lights of Kowloon come through the fog, I held the railing, breathless. 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A record was to be treasured, its circle scratches a mysterious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-ko/the-disc-of-a-record-was-hardier-yet-more-delicate-than-plasticky-cds/) [Lisa Ko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-ko/) > [“I wanted to remember this moment even as it was happening, to imagine it as already gone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-ko/i-wanted-to-remember-this-moment-even-as-it-was-happening-to-imagine/) [Lisa Ko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-ko/) [Explore all 32 Lisa Ko quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-ko/) ## More Queens quotes > [The queen of virtues is the recognition of one's own flaws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/the-queen-of-virtues-is-the-recognition-of-one-s-own-flaws/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) > [I do not so much rejoice that God hath made me to be a Queen, as to be a Queen over so thankful a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/i-do-not-so-much-rejoice-that-god-hath-made-me-to-be-a-queen-as-to-be/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) > [In the games of queens and kings, we leave our dreams at the door and we make do with what we have. 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Why not 'content creator'?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/calling-someone-a-drama-queen-is-so-negative-why-not-content-creator/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [Sometimes Queens' music is dark, but somehow it's ok to deliver it with a smile on your face because thing's are still going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-queens-music-is-dark-but-somehow-it-s-ok-to-deliver-it-with/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am trying my hardest to stay away from the horror movies just because I feel like people are thinking that's what I do,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-cook/i-am-trying-my-hardest-to-stay-away-from-the-horror-movies-just/) [A. J. 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