--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It had taken years to put themselves back…" description: "\"It had taken years to put themselves back together, and so what if some things didn’t get put back in the right place? At least they could hold themsel..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/022/rainbow-rowell-135_back-together_it-had-taken-years-to-put-themselves-bac_3036790.jpg" --- # It had taken years to put themselves back together, and so… ![“It had taken years to put themselves back together, and so what if some things didn’t get put back in the right place? At least they could hold themselves up.” quote by Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/022/rainbow-rowell-135_back-together_it-had-taken-years-to-put-themselves-bac_3036790.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/022/rainbow-rowell-135_back-together_it-had-taken-years-to-put-themselves-bac_3036790.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/022/rainbow-rowell-135_back-together_it-had-taken-years-to-put-themselves-bac_3036790.jpg) > “It had taken years to put themselves back together, and so what if some things didn’t get put back in the right place? At least they could hold themselves up.” [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. Characters rebuild themselves after hardship, accepting imperfections while finding strength to stand. **In simple terms:** People can heal despite broken pieces. Key Takeaway Embrace resilience and self‑acceptance. Themes healing resilience self‑acceptance Mood reflective hopeful Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - recovering from loss - building confidence - supporting friends - seeking therapy Key Concepts character growth psychology of trauma Questions to Reflect On - What parts of yourself feel unfinished? - How can you support others rebuilding? A Different Perspective Healing may be uneven and painful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Back together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/back-together/) [Falling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/falling/) [Place Hold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/place-hold-3587066/) [Right place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-place/) [Taken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taken/) [Taken Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taken-years-522625/) [Things Didn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-didn/) [Together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/together/) [What if](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/what-if/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [Years Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-things-1003413/) ## Related quotes > [Find your place and hold it: find your work and do it. And put everything you've got into it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bok/find-your-place-and-hold-it-find-your-work-and-do-it-and-put/) [Edward Bok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bok/) > [the world is not a pleasant place to be without someone to hold and be held by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-giovanni/the-world-is-not-a-pleasant-place-to-be-without-someone-to-hold-and/) [Nikki Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-giovanni/) > [Honey, I've watched a lot of 90210. The parents weren't even on the show once Brandon and Brenda went to college. This is your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/honey-i-ve-watched-a-lot-of-90210-the-parents-weren-t-even-on-the-2/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [“You're the same today as you will be in five years except for 2 things : The people you meet n the books you read.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-l-lechter/you-re-the-same-today-as-you-will-be-in-five-years-except-for-2/) [Sharon L. Lechter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-l-lechter/) > [Looking back at the 'Wonder Years,' I see things I did well, and I see things I did very, very badly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-savage/looking-back-at-the-wonder-years-i-see-things-i-did-well-and-i-see/) [Fred Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-savage/) > [In September, I left the show. We were going through discussions and negotiations, and I had been on the show for about 11 years,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-tylo/in-september-i-left-the-show-we-were-going-through-discussions-and/) [Hunter Tylo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-tylo/) > [I prefer to remember the happy things over 10 years, the things that went well. Let me see, what did go well?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-bing/i-prefer-to-remember-the-happy-things-over-10-years-the-things-that/) [Rudolf Bing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-bing/) > [“You are the same today that you'll be five years from now except for two things: the people you meet and the books you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mac-mcmillan/you-are-the-same-today-that-you-ll-be-five-years-from-now-except-for/) [Mac McMillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mac-mcmillan/) > [Being in the league six years, things have kind of slowed down for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemba-walker/being-in-the-league-six-years-things-have-kind-of-slowed-down-for-me/) [Kemba Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemba-walker/) > [My body has done for me all these years things I couldn't ever even dreamt to do for characters. It's a tool, molecularly speaking,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-leo/my-body-has-done-for-me-all-these-years-things-i-couldn-t-ever-even/) [Melissa Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-leo/) > [I won't be surprised if I stopped acting after some years because there are other things in life that interest me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-kulkarni/i-won-t-be-surprised-if-i-stopped-acting-after-some-years-because/) [Atul Kulkarni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-kulkarni/) > [You go through the Sporting News for the last one hundred years, and you will find two things are always true. You never have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-fehr/you-go-through-the-sporting-news-for-the-last-one-hundred-years-and/) [Donald Fehr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-fehr/) > [You have years where most things go your way, and you have years where more things than usual seem like a challenge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theo-epstein/you-have-years-where-most-things-go-your-way-and-you-have-years-where/) [Theo Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theo-epstein/) > [“You are the same today that you are going to be five years from now except for two things: the people with whom you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-jones/you-are-the-same-today-that-you-are-going-to-be-five-years-from-now/) [Charles Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-jones/) > [When you've worked in the same place for 13 years, when things go well, you know how to keep it going well. When things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stevens/when-you-ve-worked-in-the-same-place-for-13-years-when-things-go-well/) [Brad Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stevens/) ## 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 Back together quotes > [Broken by hardships, disappointments and tragedy, people can become discouraged and cynical. But lives can also be mended. Put back together well, they won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-goodier/broken-by-hardships-disappointments-and-tragedy-people-can-become/) [Steve Goodier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-goodier/) > [Everybody was on the same page. Nobody has really gone out there on a different musical journey. When we got back together again, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everybody-was-on-the-same-page-nobody-has-really-gone-out-there-on-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [People are always like, Why did you and husband Carey Hart get back together? Well, we weren't done. And now we have Willow, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pink/people-are-always-like-why-did-you-and-husband-carey-hart-get-back/) [Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pink/) > [I feel like a big faker because I've been putting my life back together, and nobody knows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/i-feel-like-a-big-faker-because-i-ve-been-putting-my-life-back/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [There are people who haven't faced the reality of what has gone on in Iraq. They still think that the old central state is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-w-galbraith/there-are-people-who-haven-t-faced-the-reality-of-what-has-gone-on-in/) [Peter W. Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-w-galbraith/) > [It's really weird to be in more than one franchise because an actor's life is so nomadic, and so it's a real privilege to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/it-s-really-weird-to-be-in-more-than-one-franchise-because-an-actor-s/) [John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/) > [You can usually tell when a couple becomes centered on each other because they are forever breaking up and getting back together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-covey/you-can-usually-tell-when-a-couple-becomes-centered-on-each-other/) [Sean Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-covey/) > [It's a gamble. A band like Kiss, a lot of those are our audience but we don't do as much make-up. Alice would have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-a-gamble-a-band-like-kiss-a-lot-of-those-are-our-audience-but-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For the world is broken, sundered, busted down the middle, self ripped from self and man pasted back together as mythical monster, half angel,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walker-percy/for-the-world-is-broken-sundered-busted-down-the-middle-self-ripped/) [Walker Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walker-percy/) > [I stared hard, trying to find a pattern. Thinking if I kept looking hard enough, maybe the pieces of the world would fit back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/i-stared-hard-trying-to-find-a-pattern-thinking-if-i-kept-looking/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) > [ \[In Bolivia\] We want to overcome our historical problems with Chile. The sea has divided us and the sea must bring us back together… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evo-morales/in-bolivia-we-want-to-overcome-our-historical-problems-with-chile-the/) [Evo Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evo-morales/) > [All I know is that I have two choices – stay wrapped in blankets and get on with dying, or get the list back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-downham/all-i-know-is-that-i-have-two-choices-stay-wrapped-in-blankets-and/) [Jenny Downham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-downham/) > [Here are the things I know for sure: When you think you’re right, you are most likely wrong. Things that break—be they bones, hearts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/here-are-the-things-i-know-for-sure-when-you-think-you-re-right-you/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [(T)he world is broken up into pieces, and...it's up to everyone to help put it all back together. It's about recognizing the spark of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/t-he-world-is-broken-up-into-pieces-and-it-s-up-to-everyone-to-help/) [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) > [See, that's the thing about second chances. It's two people that are there for each other and support each other and care about each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-kelly/see-that-s-the-thing-about-second-chances-it-s-two-people-that-are/) [Jacqueline Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-kelly/) [Browse all 229 Back together quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/back-together/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It had taken years to put themselves back together, and so what if some things didn’t get put back in the right place? 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