--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: While waiting at the counter, in my mind…" description: "\"“While waiting at the counter, in my mind I went through my relatives here in Rīga, who had not been touched either by the war, or the black storm of t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aab/mel-nija-vanaga-56943_psychology_while-waiting-at-the-counter-in-my-mind_452461.jpg" --- # While waiting at the counter, in my mind I went through my… ![“While waiting at the counter, in my mind I went through my relatives here in Rīga, who had not been touched either by the war, or the black storm of the new era, but my thoughts did not stop at any one as a close relative to whom I would want to go for a visit without misgivings, not even for an…” quote by Melānija Vanaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aab/mel-nija-vanaga-56943_psychology_while-waiting-at-the-counter-in-my-mind_452461.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aab/mel-nija-vanaga-56943_psychology_while-waiting-at-the-counter-in-my-mind_452461.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aab/mel-nija-vanaga-56943_psychology_while-waiting-at-the-counter-in-my-mind_452461.jpg) > ““While waiting at the counter, in my mind I went through my relatives here in Rīga, who had not been touched either by the war, or the black storm of the new era, but my thoughts did not stop at any one as a close relative to whom I would want to go for a visit without misgivings, not even for an hour. I was warned by the many letters sent by those who had returned home that “such folk are ashamed of us”, “in their high positions, they fear being related to us.” The women released in Siberia had written: “they feel put upon if they have to make a bed for a lousy, released criminal who was arrested in 1941 at the age of two and exiled for life to Siberia”. “They feel uncomfortable seeing their utterly dissipated relatives.” All of us had been traumatized, and we had lost our very sense of human worth. It was better to keep an appropriate distance from relatives and from acquaintances, and not to burden them with oneself, one’s joy, or one’s sorrow. Around”” [Melānija Vanaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-nija-vanaga/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. War trauma creates emotional distance; people avoid close ties to protect themselves and others. **In simple terms:** War leaves people isolated. Key Takeaway Maintain healthy boundaries. Themes trauma family war distance Mood somber thoughtful Type personal reflective When to use this quote - reconnecting with family - support groups - therapy sessions Key Concepts psychological scars social isolation survival strategies Questions to Reflect On - Can you balance self‑care with reconnecting? - What boundaries feel safe for you? A Different Perspective Avoiding contact can deepen loneliness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Relatives Rīga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relatives-r-ga-3945752/) [Relatives Traumatized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relatives-traumatized-3945750/) [Siberia Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/siberia-feel-3945753/) [Siberia Written](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/siberia-written-3945751/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Went Relatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/went-relatives-3945754/) ## Related quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I did not know that the planning for biological and chemical warfare was so widespread in England, and even in France before France fell.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholson-baker/i-did-not-know-that-the-planning-for-biological-and-chemical-warfare/) [Nicholson Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholson-baker/) > [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/) [Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/) > [“Fear and desire for pleasure. 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