--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And I knew, as I had always known but…" description: "\"“And I knew, as I had always known but somehow forgotten to remember in these past years, that I could never have done it, that no one else could ever ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/438/melanie-benjamin-4832_forgotten_and-i-knew-as-i-had-always-known-but-som_3026176.png" --- # And I knew, as I had always known but somehow forgotten to… ![“And I knew, as I had always known but somehow forgotten to remember in these past years, that I could never have done it, that no one else could ever have done it. That I would never know anyone as brave, as astonishing -- as frustrating, too, but that was, I was forced to admit finally, part of…” quote by Melanie Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/438/melanie-benjamin-4832_forgotten_and-i-knew-as-i-had-always-known-but-som_3026176.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/438/melanie-benjamin-4832_forgotten_and-i-knew-as-i-had-always-known-but-som_3026176.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/438/melanie-benjamin-4832_forgotten_and-i-knew-as-i-had-always-known-but-som_3026176.png) > ““And I knew, as I had always known but somehow forgotten to remember in these past years, that I could never have done it, that no one else could ever have done it. That I would never know anyone as brave, as astonishing -- as frustrating, too, but that was, I was forced to admit finally, part of his charm -- as the slightly stooped elderly gentleman standing beside me in the shadows, listening while schoolchildren read of his exploits. The man who was, for better, for worse, my husband. The man who I loved, in spite of himself.”” [Melanie Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-benjamin/) ## 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 reflects on a complex love for a flawed, charismatic partner, acknowledging both admiration and frustration. **In simple terms:** Love can be mixed with admiration, frustration, and acceptance of flaws. Key Takeaway Embrace the full spectrum of feelings in love. Themes love complexity admiration frustration Mood introspective emotional Type narrative reflective When to use this quote - personal relationships - literary analysis - therapy - self‑reflection Key Concepts psychology relationships character study Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of your partner do you idealize? - How can you accept both strengths and flaws? A Different Perspective Idealizing partners can hinder realistic expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Forgotten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgotten/) [Forgotten Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgotten-remember-1167389/) [Knew Known](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knew-known-233964/) [Known Forgotten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/known-forgotten-1359988/) [Shadows Listening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shadows-listening-4921654/) ## Related quotes > [“Find what you excel in and go past your limits, make yourself known! Because, to be forgotten is far worse than any death”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rogers/find-what-you-excel-in-and-go-past-your-limits-make-yourself-known/) [Michael Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rogers/) > [“I've forgotten to remember”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/autumn-doughton/i-ve-forgotten-to-remember/) [Autumn Doughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/autumn-doughton/) > [What is behind you is forgotten. You can't remember danger and difficulty when it is behind you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wanda-rutkiewicz/what-is-behind-you-is-forgotten-you-can-t-remember-danger-and/) [Wanda Rutkiewicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wanda-rutkiewicz/) > [They knew each other. He knew her and so himself, for in truth he had never known himself. And she knew him and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/they-knew-each-other-he-knew-her-and-so-himself-for-in-truth-he-had/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [“She was, he knew- and had known very early, he supposed- one of those rare and always lovely humans whose moral nature was so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/she-was-he-knew-and-had-known-very-early-he-supposed-one-of-those/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) > [“She always saw through him, as if he were just another window. She always felt that she knew everything about him that could be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/she-always-saw-through-him-as-if-he-were-just-another-window-she/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [“I was scared to death of who I really was and what I really wanted. And somehow he knew. He’d always known.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammara-webber/i-was-scared-to-death-of-who-i-really-was-and-what-i-really-wanted/) [Tammara Webber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammara-webber/) > [“He knew that he’d known her for less than a week, but now that she was gone he was continually probing his feelings for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hellenga/he-knew-that-he-d-known-her-for-less-than-a-week-but-now-that-she-was/) [Robert Hellenga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hellenga/) > [I never knew you could be so known from your success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jadon-sancho/i-never-knew-you-could-be-so-known-from-your-success/) [Jadon Sancho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jadon-sancho/) > [“We were all that mattered back then, or have you forgotten? Do you not remember that night? How we stood beside the river and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-maxwell/we-were-all-that-mattered-back-then-or-have-you-forgotten-do-you-not/) [Cathy Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-maxwell/) > [“We thought everything would be forgotten, but I still remember your claws running down my back. I wonder if you still think about us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zaeema-j-hussain/we-thought-everything-would-be-forgotten-but-i-still-remember-your/) [Zaeema J. Hussain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zaeema-j-hussain/) > [Once I passed through a populous city imprinting my brain for future use with its shows, architecture, customs, traditions, Yet now of all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/once-i-passed-through-a-populous-city-imprinting-my-brain-for-future/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [My life's work has been to prompt others and be forgotten. Remember that night when Christian came to your balcony? That moment sums up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyrano-de-bergerac/my-life-s-work-has-been-to-prompt-others-and-be-forgotten-remember/) [Cyrano de Bergerac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyrano-de-bergerac/) > [I have forgotten much, but still remember The poinsiana's red, blood-red in warm December.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-mckay/i-have-forgotten-much-but-still-remember-the-poinsiana-s-red-blood/) [Claude McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-mckay/) > [“Whatever you have forgotten, you can remember. Whatever you have buried you can unearth. If you are willing to look deep into your own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whatever-you-have-forgotten-you-can-remember-whatever-you-have-buried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Melanie Benjamin > [“Elisabeth was the same as ever, and I was the same as ever around her; no longer a confident college senior, I was diminished…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-benjamin/elisabeth-was-the-same-as-ever-and-i-was-the-same-as-ever-around-her/) [Melanie Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-benjamin/) > [“Who was this woman before me, her face imprinted with the expectations of others? I was Mom. I was Wife. I was Tragedy. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-benjamin/who-was-this-woman-before-me-her-face-imprinted-with-the-expectations/) [Melanie Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-benjamin/) > [Why were there so many barriers between us, always? Barriers of clothing, of etiquette, of time and age and reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-benjamin/why-were-there-so-many-barriers-between-us-always-barriers-of/) [Melanie Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-benjamin/) > [“my breath sour against my fist, which I still held to my mouth as if this was a sorrow that could be stifled.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-benjamin/my-breath-sour-against-my-fist-which-i-still-held-to-my-mouth-as-if/) [Melanie Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-benjamin/) > [“And this was the greatest gift that aviation could ever give me; not the sense of freedom but the sense of permanence, coupling, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-benjamin/and-this-was-the-greatest-gift-that-aviation-could-ever-give-me-not/) [Melanie Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-benjamin/) > [“ashamed of it even as I craved it. “Oh, she does! There’s a party tomorrow,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-benjamin/ashamed-of-it-even-as-i-craved-it-oh-she-does-there-s-a-party-tomorrow/) [Melanie Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-benjamin/) > [“Now and adult, allowed a glimpse of these first cracks in my family's perfect surface, I couldn't help but wonder what else I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-benjamin/now-and-adult-allowed-a-glimpse-of-these-first-cracks-in-my-family-s/) [Melanie Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-benjamin/) > [“To live for oneself is a terrifying prospect; there is comfort in martyrdom... p 364”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-benjamin/to-live-for-oneself-is-a-terrifying-prospect-there-is-comfort-in/) [Melanie Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-benjamin/) > [“For I can think of no fate drearier than sitting at home...for the rest of my life, watching all of you go off one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-benjamin/for-i-can-think-of-no-fate-drearier-than-sitting-at-home-for-the-rest/) [Melanie Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-benjamin/) > [“And this—instead of happiness—would be only what the two of us deserved, after all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-benjamin/and-this-instead-of-happiness-would-be-only-what-the-two-of-us/) [Melanie Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-benjamin/) > [“...all his smiles were just a little sad around the edges, as if he knew happiness never could last very long”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-benjamin/all-his-smiles-were-just-a-little-sad-around-the-edges-as-if-he-knew/) [Melanie Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-benjamin/) > [“And I did not speak German well; I found the language harsh and guttural, my ear simply couldn’t find it pleasing, and so my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-benjamin/and-i-did-not-speak-german-well-i-found-the-language-harsh-and/) [Melanie Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-benjamin/) > [“No, this was the career I wanted; a writer could be employed for as long as she could hold a pencil; for as long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-benjamin/no-this-was-the-career-i-wanted-a-writer-could-be-employed-for-as/) [Melanie Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-benjamin/) > [Unlike men, women got less sentimental as we aged, I was discovering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-benjamin/unlike-men-women-got-less-sentimental-as-we-aged-i-was-discovering/) [Melanie Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-benjamin/) > [“His death notice included the mention that in 1880, he had married Alice in Wonderland. I like to think he would have been pleased…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-benjamin/his-death-notice-included-the-mention-that-in-1880-he-had-married/) [Melanie Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-benjamin/) [Explore all 105 Melanie Benjamin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-benjamin/) ## More Forgotten quotes > [While the 1963 Birmingham church bombing is the most historic, there also was a series of church burnings in the 1990s. Recognition of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/while-the-1963-birmingham-church-bombing-is-the-most-historic-there/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogden-stiers/family-means-no-one-gets-left-behind-or-forgotten/) [David Ogden Stiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogden-stiers/) > [I was just going to say something, but I forgot when I started looking at you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-was-just-going-to-say-something-but-i-forgot-when-i-started-looking/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Black women's intersectional experiences of racism and sexism have been a central but forgotten dynamic in the unfolding of feminist and antiracist agendas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberle-williams-crenshaw/black-women-s-intersectional-experiences-of-racism-and-sexism-have/) [Kimberle Williams Crenshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberle-williams-crenshaw/) > [I mean, sitcoms shouldn't be doing 'Saturday Night Live.' You can't just do bit after bit after bit. You have to string it together…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-dewitt/i-mean-sitcoms-shouldn-t-be-doing-saturday-night-live-you-can-t-just/) [Joyce DeWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-dewitt/) > [People paid money for tickets to see us and be entertained by us, and we've never forgotten that. Anything after that was a bonus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-young/people-paid-money-for-tickets-to-see-us-and-be-entertained-by-us-and/) [Malcolm Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-young/) > [“Forgotten hero was never the real hero, real hero can not be forgotten.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/forgotten-hero-was-never-the-real-hero-real-hero-can-not-be-forgotten/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [We began as mineral. We emerged into plant life, and into the animal state, and then into being human, and always we have forgotten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/we-began-as-mineral-we-emerged-into-plant-life-and-into-the-animal/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [It's the frames which make some things important and some things forgotten. It's all only frames from which the content rises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-babitz/it-s-the-frames-which-make-some-things-important-and-some-things/) [Eve Babitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-babitz/) > [Our public officials have forgotten that they are ultimately accountable to the people who put them in office, that the information they keep in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/our-public-officials-have-forgotten-that-they-are-ultimately/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [I have never forgotten a picture that I ever made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-bourke-white/i-have-never-forgotten-a-picture-that-i-ever-made/) [Margaret Bourke-White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-bourke-white/) > [I had forgotten that talking to you is like trying to pet a cactus." Saiman said dryly. "Thank you for reminding me." "Always happy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/i-had-forgotten-that-talking-to-you-is-like-trying-to-pet-a-cactus/) [Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/) > [Im afraid of being forgotten. Because, it seems everyone I get close to, ends up forgetting me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arcine-arciniegas/im-afraid-of-being-forgotten-because-it-seems-everyone-i-get-close-to/) [Arcine Arciniegas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arcine-arciniegas/) > [A lover asked his beloved, Do you love yourself more than you love me? Beloved replied, I have died to myself and I live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-lover-asked-his-beloved-do-you-love-yourself-more-than-you-love-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I had forgotten how wonderful it is to stand on a bridge and catch the scent of rain in the air. I had forgotten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-steinbach/i-had-forgotten-how-wonderful-it-is-to-stand-on-a-bridge-and-catch/) [Alice Steinbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-steinbach/) [Browse all 2,870 Forgotten quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgotten/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“And I knew, as I had always known but somehow forgotten to remember in these past years, that I could never have done it, that no one else could ever have done it. That I would never know anyone as brave, as astonishing -- as frustrating, too, but that was, I was forced to admit finally, part of his charm -- as the slightly stooped elderly gentleman standing beside me in the shadows, listening while schoolchildren read of his exploits. The man who was, for better, for worse, my husband. 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