--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Holding Eleanor's hand was like holding a…" description: "\"Holding Eleanor's hand was like holding a butterfly. Or a heartbeat. Like holding something complete, and completely alive.\" — Rainbow Rowell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c9/rainbow-rowell-135_alive_holding-eleanor-s-hand-was-like-holding_240966.jpg" --- # Holding Eleanor's hand was like holding a butterfly. Or a… ![“Holding Eleanor's hand was like holding a butterfly. Or a heartbeat. Like holding something complete, and completely alive.” quote by Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c9/rainbow-rowell-135_alive_holding-eleanor-s-hand-was-like-holding_240966.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c9/rainbow-rowell-135_alive_holding-eleanor-s-hand-was-like-holding_240966.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c9/rainbow-rowell-135_alive_holding-eleanor-s-hand-was-like-holding_240966.jpg) > “Holding Eleanor's hand was like holding a butterfly. Or a heartbeat. Like holding something complete, and completely alive.” [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Holding a loved one feels delicate yet vital, like a fragile creature or a pulse, giving a sense of completeness and life. **In simple terms:** Love feels fragile and alive. Key Takeaway Cherish delicate moments. Themes love intimacy fragility Mood tender intimate Type literary emotional When to use this quote - romantic relationships - parenting - friendship - therapy sessions Key Concepts Attachment presence mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - What makes a connection feel alive? - How do we protect fragile bonds? A Different Perspective Comparisons may idealize relationships. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) [Butterfly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/butterfly/) [Heartbeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heartbeat/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Teenage love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teenage-love/) ## Related quotes > [Holding Eleanor’s hand was like holding a butterfly. Or a heartbeat. Like holding something complete, and completely alive. As soon as he touched her,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/holding-eleanor-s-hand-was-like-holding-a-butterfly-or-a-heartbeat-2/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [This is my heartbeat like yours, it is a hatchet It can build a house or tear one down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-gibson/this-is-my-heartbeat-like-yours-it-is-a-hatchet-it-can-build-a-house/) [Andrea Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-gibson/) > [It's a great experience. Every time I see the belly getting bigger, and I see the sonogram and I hear his heartbeat, I'm like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jencarlos-canela/it-s-a-great-experience-every-time-i-see-the-belly-getting-bigger-and/) [Jencarlos Canela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jencarlos-canela/) > [We left no doubt that we are one heartbeat And something like that is pretty hard to stop Once it gets going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-lua/we-left-no-doubt-that-we-are-one-heartbeat-and-something-like-that-is/) Oscar Lua > [Music is such a balm. Always has been. It's such a heartbeat, like blood thrumming through the womb. That's why music appeals to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-jarreau/music-is-such-a-balm-always-has-been-it-s-such-a-heartbeat-like-blood/) [Al Jarreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-jarreau/) > [Trying to write about love is ultimately like trying to have a dictionary represent life. No matter how many words there are, there will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/trying-to-write-about-love-is-ultimately-like-trying-to-have-a/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [And then I did laugh, even though the future was a dangerous place, because I loved her, and she loved me, and the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/and-then-i-did-laugh-even-though-the-future-was-a-dangerous-place/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [And I guess I realized at that moment that I really did love her. Because there was nothing to gain, and that didn't matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/and-i-guess-i-realized-at-that-moment-that-i-really-did-love-her/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [We've got to go to the people with bold ideas and candidates of conviction - we've got to be hotter than high school love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-hightower/we-ve-got-to-go-to-the-people-with-bold-ideas-and-candidates-of/) [Jim Hightower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-hightower/) > [“I was not able to sleep that night. To be honest, I didn’t even try. I stood in front of my living room window,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-diaz-granados/i-was-not-able-to-sleep-that-night-to-be-honest-i-didn-t-even-try-i/) [Alex Diaz-Granados](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-diaz-granados/) > [Maybe, sometimes, it's easier to be mad at the people you trust because you know they'll always love you, no matter what.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/maybe-sometimes-it-s-easier-to-be-mad-at-the-people-you-trust-because/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [Like my mother said, you can't go back to holding hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-blume/like-my-mother-said-you-can-t-go-back-to-holding-hands/) [Judy Blume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-blume/) > [“It wasn’t that fleeting kind of high school love. It was an eternal love. So powerful, so all-consuming that it physically hurt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/callie-anderson/it-wasn-t-that-fleeting-kind-of-high-school-love-it-was-an-eternal/) [Callie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/callie-anderson/) > [“He's holding onto me, but this time it feels like he's holding onto me because his earth has shifted off its axis, and I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/he-s-holding-onto-me-but-this-time-it-feels-like-he-s-holding-onto-me/) [Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/) > [Saving your virginity for someone special is like holding a dump to wait for a special toilet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/saving-your-virginity-for-someone-special-is-like-holding-a-dump-to/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) ## More by Rainbow Rowell > [Reagan was sitting up at Cath's desk when Cath woke up. "Are you awake?" "Have you been watching me sleep?" "Yes, Bella. Are you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/reagan-was-sitting-up-at-cath-s-desk-when-cath-woke-up-are-you-awake/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [“Are you awake?” “Have you been watching me sleep?” “Yes, Bella. Are you awake?” “No.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/are-you-awake-have-you-been-watching-me-sleep-yes-bella-are-you-awake/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [“Someone was knocking on her windshield. Georgie lifted her head off the steering wheel. It was Kendrick. She couldn’t really hear what he was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/someone-was-knocking-on-her-windshield-georgie-lifted-her-head-off/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [Maybe Park had paralyzed her with his ninja magic, his Vulcan handhold, and now he was going to eat her. That would be awesome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/maybe-park-had-paralyzed-her-with-his-ninja-magic-his-vulcan-handhold/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [“She wouldn't pick up a fight him just because she was bored.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/she-wouldn-t-pick-up-a-fight-him-just-because-she-was-bored/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [“That person thought that wearing an ugly dress on the happiest day of someone else's life was just the beginning-the line you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/that-person-thought-that-wearing-an-ugly-dress-on-the-happiest-day-of/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [“Is this where you tell me that I'm a scoundrel, and I say that I think you like me because I'm a scoundrel? Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/is-this-where-you-tell-me-that-i-m-a-scoundrel-and-i-say-that-i-think/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [“Te informo de que mi respuesta a tus próximas doce afirmaciones va a ser: «¿Cómo dices?»”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/te-informo-de-que-mi-respuesta-a-tus-pr-ximas-doce-afirmaciones-va-a/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [“Dude. Let it go. Good riddance to bad rubbers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/dude-let-it-go-good-riddance-to-bad-rubbers/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [He looked exactly like a rat. Like the human being version of a rat. Like the villain in a Don Bluth movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/he-looked-exactly-like-a-rat-like-the-human-being-version-of-a-rat/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [“Tell me more about the mountains, Georgie said, because she wasn't really sure what to ask. Because ' tell me where I went wrong'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/tell-me-more-about-the-mountains-georgie-said-because-she-wasn-t/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [God, his chin. She wanted to make an honest woman of his chin. She wanted to lock it down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/god-his-chin-she-wanted-to-make-an-honest-woman-of-his-chin-she/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [“Wait, I really do need your help with this." He turned his computer monitor toward her and pointed. "Is this funny? It's a Snoopy/Snoop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/wait-i-really-do-need-your-help-with-this-he-turned-his-computer/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [“You need to cool down first.” “I’m cool.” “Simon. You’re never cool.” “That hurts, Penny.” “It shouldn’t. It’s one of the reasons I love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/you-need-to-cool-down-first-i-m-cool-simon-you-re-never-cool-that/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [“She'd get out of the shower the next morning, and it would be written in the steam on the mirror. Dance. Dress. Try a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/she-d-get-out-of-the-shower-the-next-morning-and-it-would-be-written/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) [Explore all 1,108 Rainbow Rowell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) ## More Alive quotes > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) Adam Ant > [I don't crave applause. I'm not one of those guys who comes alive on stage. I'm much more alive at home, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-don-t-crave-applause-i-m-not-one-of-those-guys-who-comes-alive-on/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [We must master our egoism, and through this mastery, step outside ourselves and educate ourselves in giving. Fasting requires that we rediscover all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/we-must-master-our-egoism-and-through-this-mastery-step-outside/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [I can't say that there are 'things' that make me come alive. There are thoughts that make me come alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-can-t-say-that-there-are-things-that-make-me-come-alive-there-are/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [We're like the wicked witch. We promise gingerbread, then eat the little brats alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/we-re-like-the-wicked-witch-we-promise-gingerbread-then-eat-the/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-costas/if-jovan-belcher-didn-t-possess-a-gun-he-and-kasandra-perkins-would/) [Bob Costas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-costas/) > [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/) [David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/) > [I think adoption becomes complicated whenever the biological parents are alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haven/i-think-adoption-becomes-complicated-whenever-the-biological-parents/) [James Haven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haven/) > [The pain of love is the pain of being alive. It is a perpetual wound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-duffy/the-pain-of-love-is-the-pain-of-being-alive-it-is-a-perpetual-wound/) [Maureen Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-duffy/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [If Melanchthon were alive today, he might not weep because of controversies that surround the Lord's Supper, but he might well sorrow because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-w-lutzer/if-melanchthon-were-alive-today-he-might-not-weep-because-of/) [Erwin W. Lutzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-w-lutzer/) > [If you’re alive, don’t move, if you’re dead, don’t worry about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/if-you-re-alive-don-t-move-if-you-re-dead-don-t-worry-about-it/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [Here Greek and Roman find themselves alive along these crowded shelves; and Shakespeare treads again his stage, and Chaucer paints anew his age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/here-greek-and-roman-find-themselves-alive-along-these-crowded/) [John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/) > [You're alive!" Fezzik cried. The man in black sat immobile, like a ventriloquist's dummy, just his mouth moving. "That is perhaps the most childishly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/you-re-alive-fezzik-cried-the-man-in-black-sat-immobile-like-a/) [William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) [Browse all 7,282 Alive quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Holding Eleanor's hand was like holding a butterfly. Or a heartbeat. 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