--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'll never forget the first time I saw…" description: "\"I'll never forget the first time I saw someone who had died. It was my grandfather. And I knelt next to his coffin. And all I could do was eye level wa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1e/rick-santorum-1840_coffin_i-ll-never-forget-the-first-time-i-saw-s_2193795.jpg" --- # I'll never forget the first time I saw someone who had… ![“I'll never forget the first time I saw someone who had died. It was my grandfather. And I knelt next to his coffin. And all I could do was eye level was look at his hands. They were enormous hands. And all I could think was, 'Those hands dug freedom for me.'” quote by Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1e/rick-santorum-1840_coffin_i-ll-never-forget-the-first-time-i-saw-s_2193795.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1e/rick-santorum-1840_coffin_i-ll-never-forget-the-first-time-i-saw-s_2193795.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1e/rick-santorum-1840_coffin_i-ll-never-forget-the-first-time-i-saw-s_2193795.jpg) > “I'll never forget the first time I saw someone who had died. It was my grandfather. And I knelt next to his coffin. And all I could do was eye level was look at his hands. They were enormous hands. And all I could think was, 'Those hands dug freedom for me.'” [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) ## 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 reflects on his grandfather’s death, seeing his large hands as symbols of the freedom he earned. **In simple terms:** Grandfather’s hands represented earned freedom Key Takeaway Recognize the sacrifices that enable your freedom Themes family memory freedom legacy Mood somber reflective Type personal memorial When to use this quote - funeral - personal reflection - family gatherings Key Concepts symbolism grief heritage Questions to Reflect On - How do personal sacrifices shape collective liberty? - What responsibilities arise from inherited freedoms? A Different Perspective The quote may romanticize hardship, overlooking systemic oppression ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dug/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Grandfather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grandfather/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [My dad died, and my grandfather died, and my great-grandfather died. And the guy before him, I don't know. Probably died.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norm-macdonald/my-dad-died-and-my-grandfather-died-and-my-great-grandfather-died-and/) [Norm MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norm-macdonald/) > [About a month before he died, my grandfather, we covered his back full of lard - after that he went downhill very quickly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-jones/about-a-month-before-he-died-my-grandfather-we-covered-his-back-full/) [Milton Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-jones/) > [I was in high school and I had an independent album out, and we kept sending that out, and I was doing shows. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hilton/i-was-in-high-school-and-i-had-an-independent-album-out-and-we-kept/) [Tyler Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hilton/) > [It's definitely thrilling to know that you studied for something, and then you went in, and tried to do your best, and then somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-garces/it-s-definitely-thrilling-to-know-that-you-studied-for-something-and/) [Paula Garces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-garces/) > [I dug the idea that I was being perceived as the black sheep of my family, but for me, it was like, I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-bishop/i-dug-the-idea-that-i-was-being-perceived-as-the-black-sheep-of-my/) [Larry Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-bishop/) > [I've never been a big horror genre fan, but I did go see 'Nightmare on Elm Street' in the theaters and I dug it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-earle-haley/i-ve-never-been-a-big-horror-genre-fan-but-i-did-go-see-nightmare-on/) [Jackie Earle Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-earle-haley/) > [“Oh that I had the opportunity to rethink so many of my decisions, for the pitfalls into which I have so frequently fallen were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/oh-that-i-had-the-opportunity-to-rethink-so-many-of-my-decisions-for/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“Filling a hole in a manner that doesn’t address how it was dug is to fill a hole that is certain to remain empty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/filling-a-hole-in-a-manner-that-doesn-t-address-how-it-was-dug-is-to/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“Govorio je čak da je povjerilac gori nego gospodar; jer gospodar raspolaže samo sa vašom ličnošću, a povjerilac raspolaže vašim dostojanstvom i može ga…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/govorio-je-ak-da-je-povjerilac-gori-nego-gospodar-jer-gospodar/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [I always used to deny this, but I guess what I'm really saying is that I was writing to shock... And I dug deep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/i-always-used-to-deny-this-but-i-guess-what-i-m-really-saying-is-that/) [Ian Mcewan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [“There is no depth that exceeds the reach of the God who is, at this very moment, seeking you out in the holes that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/there-is-no-depth-that-exceeds-the-reach-of-the-god-who-is-at-this/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [Early 1900s Hollywood was full of farmers battling to hold onto their land against a new influx of filmmakers who dug Hollywood's reliable weather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-amos/early-1900s-hollywood-was-full-of-farmers-battling-to-hold-onto-their/) [Shawn Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-amos/) > [Every song you write you think is the last one you're going to manage. You put everything you've got into the song, and you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jakob-dylan/every-song-you-write-you-think-is-the-last-one-you-re-going-to-manage/) [Jakob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jakob-dylan/) > [I did a bunch of blue-collar jobs, because I knew I'd wind up with a white-collar job at some point, and I wanted to,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graydon-carter/i-did-a-bunch-of-blue-collar-jobs-because-i-knew-i-d-wind-up-with-a/) [Graydon Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graydon-carter/) > [I've always dug Audrey Hepburn. I think she's one of the classic beauties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/estelle/i-ve-always-dug-audrey-hepburn-i-think-she-s-one-of-the-classic/) [Estelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/estelle/) ## More by Rick Santorum > [We know the candidate Barack Obama, what he was like - the anti-war government nig... America was a source for division around the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/we-know-the-candidate-barack-obama-what-he-was-like-the-anti-war/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [We had 90 percent rates, but nobody paid them. And so you had all these exemptions, exclusions, shelters, all this kind of stuff. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/we-had-90-percent-rates-but-nobody-paid-them-and-so-you-had-all-these/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [I would say any type of sexual activity has absolutely no place in the military.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/i-would-say-any-type-of-sexual-activity-has-absolutely-no-place-in/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [I support the death penalty and will continue to do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/i-support-the-death-penalty-and-will-continue-to-do-that/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [Suffering, if you're a Christian, suffering is a part of life. And it's not a bad thing, it is an essential thing in life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/suffering-if-you-re-a-christian-suffering-is-a-part-of-life-and-it-s/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [Priests, like all of us, are affected by culture, ... When the culture is sick, every element in it becomes infected. While it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/priests-like-all-of-us-are-affected-by-culture-when-the-culture-is/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [“The basic unit of society is the family. No one comes into this world as a self-sufficient individual. We start out as the helpless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/the-basic-unit-of-society-is-the-family-no-one-comes-into-this-world/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [In 1923 there were no government benefits for immigrants except one: Freedom!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/in-1923-there-were-no-government-benefits-for-immigrants-except-one/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [Now is the time to act or get stuck with a bland, boring, career politician who will lose to Barack Obama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/now-is-the-time-to-act-or-get-stuck-with-a-bland-boring-career/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [My mom was a working woman. She made more money than my dad. Both my parents worked. And this was in the '60s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/my-mom-was-a-working-woman-she-made-more-money-than-my-dad-both-my/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [Almost 60,000 average Americans had the courage to go out and charge those beaches on Normandy, to drop out of airplanes who knows where,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/almost-60-000-average-americans-had-the-courage-to-go-out-and-charge/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [ The state has a right to do that \[outlaw contraceptives\], I have never questioned that the state has a right to do that. It… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/the-state-has-a-right-to-do-that-outlaw-contraceptives-i-have-never/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [ One of Governor Romney's aides today on television said that Governor Romney, after he wins the primaries, will be like an \[Etch A Sketch\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/one-of-governor-romney-s-aides-today-on-television-said-that-governor/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [I dont know of one group of people thats more disliked than politicians -- it may be the folks who gave us the Wall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/i-dont-know-of-one-group-of-people-thats-more-disliked-than/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [Obviously the first thing we need to do is repeal “Obamacare.” That's one entitlement that we can get rid of. And that's a couple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/obviously-the-first-thing-we-need-to-do-is-repeal-obamacare-that-s/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) [Explore all 204 Rick Santorum quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) ## More Coffin quotes > [“I decided to get my butt up out of the coffin, just like Jesus Christ, and come and chitchat with all my beautiful and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-o-neill/i-decided-to-get-my-butt-up-out-of-the-coffin-just-like-jesus-christ/) [Heather O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-o-neill/) > [Marriage is like a coffin and each kid is like another nail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer-simpson/marriage-is-like-a-coffin-and-each-kid-is-like-another-nail/) [Homer Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer-simpson/) > [“Like King, we need to put on our cemetery clothes and be coffin-ready for the next great democratic battle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/like-king-we-need-to-put-on-our-cemetery-clothes-and-be-coffin-ready/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [“Lies made it arduous to find a coffin that fit”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-carl-evans/lies-made-it-arduous-to-find-a-coffin-that-fit/) Richard Carl Evans > [His smile is like the silver plate on a coffin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-philpot-curran/his-smile-is-like-the-silver-plate-on-a-coffin/) [John Philpot Curran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-philpot-curran/) > [At my funeral, if one said, 'Nick was a generous person,' trust me I won't be doing cartwheels in my coffin. Recognition from people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-vujicic/at-my-funeral-if-one-said-nick-was-a-generous-person-trust-me-i-won-t/) [Nick Vujicic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-vujicic/) > [Well, I guess I am about the livest dead man you ever saw; although I was once asked to accept a coffin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rice/well-i-guess-i-am-about-the-livest-dead-man-you-ever-saw-although-i/) Dan Rice > [She wanted to be buried in a coffin filled with used paperbacks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/she-wanted-to-be-buried-in-a-coffin-filled-with-used-paperbacks/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Death is only attractive in a fashionable dress, with lilies and an open coffin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-l-sullivan/death-is-only-attractive-in-a-fashionable-dress-with-lilies-and-an/) [Laura L. Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-l-sullivan/) > [“An expensive coffin does not decrease the deceased’s chances of going to hell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/an-expensive-coffin-does-not-decrease-the-deceased-s-chances-of-going/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [I never change, I'm like a corpse in a coffin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-cole/i-never-change-i-m-like-a-corpse-in-a-coffin/) [J Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-cole/) > [“This is the most uncomfortable coffin I've ever been in. You are wasting my time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bela-lugosi-ed-wood/this-is-the-most-uncomfortable-coffin-i-ve-ever-been-in-you-are/) Bela Lugosi (Ed Wood > [“It's daylight. Shouldn't you have burned to a crisp, or something? Don't you have to crawl into a coffin? Where do you keep it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-howard/it-s-daylight-shouldn-t-you-have-burned-to-a-crisp-or-something-don-t/) [Linda Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-howard/) > [For me, curiosity is life. If you are not curious, you are in your coffin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-boulez/for-me-curiosity-is-life-if-you-are-not-curious-you-are-in-your-coffin/) [Pierre Boulez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-boulez/) > [“A premature death does not only rob one of the countless instances where one would have experienced pleasure, it also saves one from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/a-premature-death-does-not-only-rob-one-of-the-countless-instances/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) Browse all 215 Coffin quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'll never forget the first time I saw someone who had died. 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