--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: How do you mourn something that never…" description: "\"“How do you mourn something that never really belonged to you?”\" — Rebecca Serle" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/rebecca-serle-4076_contemporary_how-do-you-mourn-something-that-never-re_2183502.jpg" --- # How do you mourn something that never really belonged to… ![“How do you mourn something that never really belonged to you?” quote by Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/rebecca-serle-4076_contemporary_how-do-you-mourn-something-that-never-re_2183502.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/rebecca-serle-4076_contemporary_how-do-you-mourn-something-that-never-re_2183502.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/rebecca-serle-4076_contemporary_how-do-you-mourn-something-that-never-re_2183502.jpg) > ““How do you mourn something that never really belonged to you?”” [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mourning something never truly owned is impossible; grief requires genuine attachment. **In simple terms:** You can’t mourn what wasn’t yours. Key Takeaway Recognize authentic loss. Themes grief attachment identity Mood melancholic thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - breakups - lost opportunities - unrequited love Key Concepts psychology literature Questions to Reflect On - What “belongings” have you mourned? - How do you differentiate real loss? A Different Perspective May overlook symbolic losses. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Belonged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belonged/) [Contemporary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contemporary/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Grief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grief/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Mourn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mourn/) [Mourn Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mourn-really-4726907/) [Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really/) [Really Belonged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really-belonged-3598461/) [Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shakespeare/) ## Related quotes > [“I'm not like you, Mal. I never really fit in the way you did. I never really belonged anywhere." "You belonged with me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/i-m-not-like-you-mal-i-never-really-fit-in-the-way-you-did-i-never/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [While in college, a voice in my head sometimes questioned if I really belonged, but I had mentors and family members who encouraged me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-cardona/while-in-college-a-voice-in-my-head-sometimes-questioned-if-i-really/) [Miguel Cardona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-cardona/) > [“But he was also the boy who’d shown up on her class field trip and shown her where she really belonged. The one who’d…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-messenger/but-he-was-also-the-boy-who-d-shown-up-on-her-class-field-trip-and/) [Shannon Messenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-messenger/) > [“They died together; they'll always be remembered together. It's decided, once and for all. He was hers. The rumors don't matter; they'll fade...People may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/they-died-together-they-ll-always-be-remembered-together-it-s-decided/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) > [“His arms cradled her as if she really belonged inside them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/his-arms-cradled-her-as-if-she-really-belonged-inside-them/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [ But I also hoped that \[she\] had chosen California because she thought that was her true home, the place where she really belonged, where… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/but-i-also-hoped-that-she-had-chosen-california-because-she-thought/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [White people use their literature to maintain culture. 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She was his—and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxie-rivera/there-was-nowhere-else-she-belonged-but-right-here-with-him-in-his/) [Roxie Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxie-rivera/) > [The power to bring me out of solitude - or to push me back into it - had never belonged to another person. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/the-power-to-bring-me-out-of-solitude-or-to-push-me-back-into-it-had/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [The whole force of the respectable circles to which I belonged, that respectable circle which knew as I did notthe value of security won,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/the-whole-force-of-the-respectable-circles-to-which-i-belonged-that/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [I always thought competition was for horse races and it never belonged in art. I never felt that competitive with other girl singers, really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-ronstadt/i-always-thought-competition-was-for-horse-races-and-it-never/) [Linda Ronstadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-ronstadt/) > [I moved to Milan when I was 15. I was always looking for something; I never really felt like I belonged where I was,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-prepon/i-moved-to-milan-when-i-was-15-i-was-always-looking-for-something-i/) [Laura Prepon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-prepon/) > [“She is beyond me, but my love is pure, not base desire To her alone I belonged, I belong - even if mine she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umera-ahmed/she-is-beyond-me-but-my-love-is-pure-not-base-desire-to-her-alone-i/) [Umera Ahmed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umera-ahmed/) > [I've never belonged to any group that didn't have at least one member who wasn't a total dick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles/i-ve-never-belonged-to-any-group-that-didn-t-have-at-least-one-member/) [Rock Cowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rock-cowles/) ## More by Rebecca Serle > [I love that the collapse of The Other Side is being felt in both 'The Vampire Diaries' and 'The Originals' universes - as someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/i-love-that-the-collapse-of-the-other-side-is-being-felt-in-both-the/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) > ['Wuthering Heights' by Emily Bronte has been my all-time favorite book since I was in middle school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/wuthering-heights-by-emily-bronte-has-been-my-all-time-favorite-book/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) > [My first book, 'When You Were Mine,' got optioned for film and went into preproduction as 'Rosaline.' That was the classic model: Hollywood calls,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/my-first-book-when-you-were-mine-got-optioned-for-film-and-went-into/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) > ['Ready Player One' has it all - nostalgia, trivia, adventure, romance, heart, and, dare I say it, some very fascinating social commentary. The novel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/ready-player-one-has-it-all-nostalgia-trivia-adventure-romance-heart/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) > [By refusing to lend a hand, we are not only robbing our colleagues and peers of the opportunity to gain guidance, but we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/by-refusing-to-lend-a-hand-we-are-not-only-robbing-our-colleagues-and/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) > [I've said it before, and I'll say it again: writing picture books is an art - the art of word choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/i-ve-said-it-before-and-i-ll-say-it-again-writing-picture-books-is-an/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) > [When someone around you succeeds, it does not mean they've taken that spot from you. What it means is that you are in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/when-someone-around-you-succeeds-it-does-not-mean-they-ve-taken-that/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) > [American fantasy is not a genre we think about too often. Sure, we are familiar with the worlds of English boarding school houses and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/american-fantasy-is-not-a-genre-we-think-about-too-often-sure-we-are/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) > [“No one ever died from having too much information. It’s the misunderstandings that are the problem.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/no-one-ever-died-from-having-too-much-information-it-s-the/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) > [“They died together; they'll always be remembered together. It's decided, once and for all. He was hers. The rumors don't matter; they'll fade...People may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/they-died-together-they-ll-always-be-remembered-together-it-s-decided/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) > [So many tend to brand the Internet as the downfall of youth, but 'Ready Player One' hints that it's more complicated than that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/so-many-tend-to-brand-the-internet-as-the-downfall-of-youth-but-ready/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) > [At its heart, 'Mostly Good Girls' is about the pressures we put on ourselves to live up to ideas of perfection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/at-its-heart-mostly-good-girls-is-about-the-pressures-we-put-on/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) > [Of course YA authors have a responsibility to their audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/of-course-ya-authors-have-a-responsibility-to-their-audience/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) > [The adult fiction and writing for children portions of my MFA program were kept very separate, and there was a stigma around those 'kid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/the-adult-fiction-and-writing-for-children-portions-of-my-mfa-program/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) > [“It’s not that most girls are delusional, per se. It’s just that they have this subtle ability to warp actual circumstances into something different.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/it-s-not-that-most-girls-are-delusional-per-se-it-s-just-that-they/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) [Explore all 116 Rebecca Serle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) ## More Belonged quotes > [I've never belonged to any group that didn't have at least one member who wasn't a total dick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles/i-ve-never-belonged-to-any-group-that-didn-t-have-at-least-one-member/) [Rock Cowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rock-cowles/) > [“She is beyond me, but my love is pure, not base desire To her alone I belonged, I belong - even if mine she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umera-ahmed/she-is-beyond-me-but-my-love-is-pure-not-base-desire-to-her-alone-i/) [Umera Ahmed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umera-ahmed/) > [I moved to Milan when I was 15. I was always looking for something; I never really felt like I belonged where I was,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-prepon/i-moved-to-milan-when-i-was-15-i-was-always-looking-for-something-i/) [Laura Prepon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-prepon/) > [I always thought competition was for horse races and it never belonged in art. I never felt that competitive with other girl singers, really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-ronstadt/i-always-thought-competition-was-for-horse-races-and-it-never/) [Linda Ronstadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-ronstadt/) > [The whole force of the respectable circles to which I belonged, that respectable circle which knew as I did notthe value of security won,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/the-whole-force-of-the-respectable-circles-to-which-i-belonged-that/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [The power to bring me out of solitude - or to push me back into it - had never belonged to another person. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/the-power-to-bring-me-out-of-solitude-or-to-push-me-back-into-it-had/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [“There was nowhere else she belonged but right here with him. In his life, in his home, in his arms. She was his—and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxie-rivera/there-was-nowhere-else-she-belonged-but-right-here-with-him-in-his/) [Roxie Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxie-rivera/) > [The first time that I stepped onto a stage, it was life-changing. For once, I felt comfortable and in a place where I belonged.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shanice-williams/the-first-time-that-i-stepped-onto-a-stage-it-was-life-changing-for/) [Shanice Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shanice-williams/) > [“Was there anyone before you? You might have thought so at the the time. I feel like no one's ever loved me before. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-d-reiss/was-there-anyone-before-you-you-might-have-thought-so-at-the-the-time/) [C.D. Reiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-d-reiss/) > [One thing that was very important to me was that I felt comfortable in the lab from being very, very small. I knew that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/one-thing-that-was-very-important-to-me-was-that-i-felt-comfortable/) [Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/) > [“let it go let it leave let it happen nothing in this world was promised or belonged to you anyway - all you own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupi-kaur/let-it-go-let-it-leave-let-it-happen-nothing-in-this-world-was/) [Rupi Kaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupi-kaur/) > [The character of the monkey just grew from something out of his face and my granddad's personality. They fused, and that's what I ended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-conti/the-character-of-the-monkey-just-grew-from-something-out-of-his-face/) [Nina Conti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-conti/) > [I was always kind of searching for the right social group in high school and never really felt like I belonged with any one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalia-dyer/i-was-always-kind-of-searching-for-the-right-social-group-in-high/) [Natalia Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalia-dyer/) > [I was a silent actress: a body. I belonged to dreams - to those who can't be broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-kristel/i-was-a-silent-actress-a-body-i-belonged-to-dreams-to-those-who-can-t/) [Sylvia Kristel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-kristel/) > [I took three steps and was wrapped in his arms, where I belonged. No confusion here. No worries here. No troubles here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-v-snyder/i-took-three-steps-and-was-wrapped-in-his-arms-where-i-belonged-no/) [Maria V. Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-v-snyder/) [Browse all 304 Belonged quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belonged/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“How do you mourn something that never really belonged to you?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rebecca Serle" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/how-do-you-mourn-something-that-never-really-belonged-to-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Belonged" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/how-do-you-mourn-something-that-never-really-belonged-to-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/rebecca-serle-4076_contemporary_how-do-you-mourn-something-that-never-re_2183502.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/rebecca-serle-4076_contemporary_how-do-you-mourn-something-that-never-re_2183502.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/rebecca-serle-4076_contemporary_how-do-you-mourn-something-that-never-re_2183502.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“How do you mourn something that never really belonged to you?” — Rebecca Serle", "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": "Rebecca Serle", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“How do you mourn something that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/how-do-you-mourn-something-that-never-really-belonged-to-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/how-do-you-mourn-something-that-never-really-belonged-to-you/#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 } } ] } ```