--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I'm on my deathbed, I'll hopefully…" description: "\"When I'm on my deathbed, I'll hopefully be able to count more friends than parts that I had.\" — Nicholas Lea" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/nicholas-lea-17574_able_when-i-m-on-my-deathbed-i-ll-hopefully-b_62147.png" --- # When I'm on my deathbed, I'll hopefully be able to count… ![“When I'm on my deathbed, I'll hopefully be able to count more friends than parts that I had.” quote by Nicholas Lea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/nicholas-lea-17574_able_when-i-m-on-my-deathbed-i-ll-hopefully-b_62147.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/nicholas-lea-17574_able_when-i-m-on-my-deathbed-i-ll-hopefully-b_62147.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/nicholas-lea-17574_able_when-i-m-on-my-deathbed-i-ll-hopefully-b_62147.png) > “When I'm on my deathbed, I'll hopefully be able to count more friends than parts that I had.” [Nicholas Lea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-lea/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker hopes that, at life's end, relationships will outweigh personal achievements, emphasizing the value of human connection over material or professional success. **In simple terms:** Prioritize relationships over accomplishments. Key Takeaway Friendships define a life more than possessions. Themes relationships legacy humility human connection values Mood nostalgic thoughtful reflective Type aphoristic philosophical When to use this quote - reflecting on life choices - end‑of‑life conversations - career vs. family decisions - evaluating personal priorities Key Concepts meaning of success social capital personal fulfillment Practical Applications - coaching on work‑life balance - writing memoirs that highlight relationships Questions to Reflect On - What do you want people to remember about you? - How can you invest more in friendships now? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Deathbed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deathbed/) [Friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) ## Related quotes > [And on my deathbed, all I'll see is you The life may leave my lungs, but my heart will stay with you. That little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-eyes/and-on-my-deathbed-all-i-ll-see-is-you-the-life-may-leave-my-lungs/) Angel\_eyes > [From the first time we met, we knew everything that mattered about each other, didn't we? We just knew. I guess that's what best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/from-the-first-time-we-met-we-knew-everything-that-mattered-about/) [Kristin Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/) > [I've struggled seriously to make movies with very little money, that I write, that I direct, that mean my life to me. The idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-toback/i-ve-struggled-seriously-to-make-movies-with-very-little-money-that-i/) [James Toback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-toback/) > [“Count your joys instead of your woes; Count your friends instead of your foes." - Irish Saying”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-kelly/count-your-joys-instead-of-your-woes-count-your-friends-instead-of-2/) [Cedric Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-kelly/) > [Count not him among your friends who will retail your privacies to the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/publilius-syrus/count-not-him-among-your-friends-who-will-retail-your-privacies-to/) [Publilius Syrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/publilius-syrus/) > [“When you're alone is when you can count your friends.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/when-you-re-alone-is-when-you-can-count-your-friends/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“I have so many friends I couldn’t even count them on one hand—not even if I had six fingers. Now, if I had seven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-have-so-many-friends-i-couldn-t-even-count-them-on-one-hand-not/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I can count my friends on one hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-zito/i-can-count-my-friends-on-one-hand/) [Barry Zito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-zito/) > [Even among those who I would not count as 'friends,' I have met many people online who have simply commented on my work or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-swartz/even-among-those-who-i-would-not-count-as-friends-i-have-met-many/) [Aaron Swartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-swartz/) > [When the good times roll count your friends, when the chips are down count again. There are just a precious few, who'll be standing'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/when-the-good-times-roll-count-your-friends-when-the-chips-are-down/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [If you want an accounting of your worth, count your friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-want-an-accounting-of-your-worth-count-your-friends/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Dont count friends treasure them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/migzylou/dont-count-friends-treasure-them/) [Migzylou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/migzylou/) > [Count your joys instead of your woes; count your friends instead of your foes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irish-proverb/count-your-joys-instead-of-your-woes-count-your-friends-instead-of/) Irish Proverb > [“It is very quiet. I set my chin into my palm and count my friends and wonder what else is hiding in plain sight.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/it-is-very-quiet-i-set-my-chin-into-my-palm-and-count-my-friends-and/) [Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/) > [“She simply saw someone who was lonely, someone who could likely count their friends on one hand, and perhaps wanted to one day use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elise-kova/she-simply-saw-someone-who-was-lonely-someone-who-could-likely-count/) [Elise Kova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elise-kova/) ## More by Nicholas Lea > [I'm trying to do the kind of projects that I want to see in the theatre.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-lea/i-m-trying-to-do-the-kind-of-projects-that-i-want-to-see-in-the/) [Nicholas Lea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-lea/) > [Supporting characters add depth to a story, and great actors leave their imprint with the audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-lea/supporting-characters-add-depth-to-a-story-and-great-actors-leave/) [Nicholas Lea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-lea/) > [And I've been lucky in that I haven't had another job besides acting in the last five years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-lea/and-i-ve-been-lucky-in-that-i-haven-t-had-another-job-besides-acting/) [Nicholas Lea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-lea/) > [I think somebody who speaks the language is going to notice immediately that I'm not Russian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-lea/i-think-somebody-who-speaks-the-language-is-going-to-notice/) [Nicholas Lea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-lea/) > [My goal is to be living back in Canada as soon as I can, hopefully somewhere in the Gulf Islands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-lea/my-goal-is-to-be-living-back-in-canada-as-soon-as-i-can-hopefully/) [Nicholas Lea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-lea/) > [I've spent so much time the last seven, eight years in Los Angeles, away from my family, away from my friends, away from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-lea/i-ve-spent-so-much-time-the-last-seven-eight-years-in-los-angeles/) [Nicholas Lea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-lea/) > [Two shows at once is crazy, but I love it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-lea/two-shows-at-once-is-crazy-but-i-love-it/) [Nicholas Lea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-lea/) > [I would like to look back on my career and be proud of what I've done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-lea/i-would-like-to-look-back-on-my-career-and-be-proud-of-what-i-ve-done/) [Nicholas Lea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-lea/) > [It makes you realize that people are the same wherever you go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-lea/it-makes-you-realize-that-people-are-the-same-wherever-you-go/) [Nicholas Lea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-lea/) > [We went to the British Museum, and I was looking up my family in the books - pages and pages on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-lea/we-went-to-the-british-museum-and-i-was-looking-up-my-family-in-the/) [Nicholas Lea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-lea/) > [I'm living in L.A. but my heart's in Vancouver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-lea/i-m-living-in-l-a-but-my-heart-s-in-vancouver/) [Nicholas Lea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-lea/) > [I just wanted to act. I didn't want to do anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-lea/i-just-wanted-to-act-i-didn-t-want-to-do-anything-else/) [Nicholas Lea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-lea/) > [My sister is a nurse and saves people's lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-lea/my-sister-is-a-nurse-and-saves-people-s-lives/) [Nicholas Lea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-lea/) > [I wanted more in depth ideas about the character and it never came.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-lea/i-wanted-more-in-depth-ideas-about-the-character-and-it-never-came/) [Nicholas Lea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-lea/) > [Everything has an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-lea/everything-has-an-end/) [Nicholas Lea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-lea/) [Explore all 36 Nicholas Lea quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-lea/) ## More Able 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/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) Greg Perry > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I'm on my deathbed, I'll hopefully be able to count more friends than parts that I had.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nicholas Lea" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-lea/when-i-m-on-my-deathbed-i-ll-hopefully-be-able-to-count-more-friends/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Able" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-lea/when-i-m-on-my-deathbed-i-ll-hopefully-be-able-to-count-more-friends/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/nicholas-lea-17574_able_when-i-m-on-my-deathbed-i-ll-hopefully-b_62147.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/nicholas-lea-17574_able_when-i-m-on-my-deathbed-i-ll-hopefully-b_62147.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/nicholas-lea-17574_able_when-i-m-on-my-deathbed-i-ll-hopefully-b_62147.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I'm on my deathbed, I'll hopefully be able to count more friends than parts that I had.” — Nicholas Lea", "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": "Nicholas Lea", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-lea/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I'm on my deathbed, I'll...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-lea/when-i-m-on-my-deathbed-i-ll-hopefully-be-able-to-count-more-friends/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-lea/when-i-m-on-my-deathbed-i-ll-hopefully-be-able-to-count-more-friends/#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 } } ] } ```