---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was tired of hanging on, taking the…"
description: "\"I was tired of hanging on, taking the torn pieces to make something whole with them.\" — Sarah Dessen"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/899/sarah-dessen-110_hanging-on_i-was-tired-of-hanging-on-taking-the-tor_1547937.png"
---

#  I was tired of hanging on, taking the torn pieces to make…

![“I was tired of hanging on, taking the torn pieces to make something whole with them.” quote by Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/899/sarah-dessen-110_hanging-on_i-was-tired-of-hanging-on-taking-the-tor_1547937.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/899/sarah-dessen-110_hanging-on_i-was-tired-of-hanging-on-taking-the-tor_1547937.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/899/sarah-dessen-110_hanging-on_i-was-tired-of-hanging-on-taking-the-tor_1547937.png)

> “I was tired of hanging on, taking the torn pieces to make something whole with them.”

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

## 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 feels exhausted by clinging to broken parts, seeking to rebuild themselves from fragmented experiences.

**In simple terms:** She is tired of holding onto broken pieces and wants to create wholeness.

Key Takeaway

Embrace healing and let go of what drags you down.

Themes

healing self‑repair resilience growth

Mood

reflective hopeful

Type

self‑help inspirational

When to use this quote

- personal recovery
- mental health journeys
- creative projects

Key Concepts

fragmentation wholeness self‑care

Questions to Reflect On

- What fragments are you still holding onto?
- How can you transform broken pieces into something whole?

A Different Perspective

Healing may require external help, not just personal effort.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

## Related quotes

> [ Dr. Calder \[a Unitarian minister\] said of Dr. \[Samuel\] Johnson on the publications of Boswell and Mrs. Piozzi, that he was like Actaeon, torn… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-walpole/dr-calder-a-unitarian-minister-said-of-dr-samuel-johnson-on-the/)

[Horace Walpole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-walpole/)

> [Had I left those images hidden in the emotions, I might have been torn to pieces by them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/had-i-left-those-images-hidden-in-the-emotions-i-might-have-been-torn/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“We were like little torn pieces from a book. Only together would we make sense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kailyn-lowry/we-were-like-little-torn-pieces-from-a-book-only-together-would-we/)

[Kailyn Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kailyn-lowry/)

> [You torn me into pieces, but she fix me back using staples.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-chan/you-torn-me-into-pieces-but-she-fix-me-back-using-staples/)

[Christopher Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-chan/)

> [“Can he tell that I'm fucked up? Can he tell that I've been torn to pieces and put back together again?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-m-ward/can-he-tell-that-i-m-fucked-up-can-he-tell-that-i-ve-been-torn-to/)

[H.M. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-m-ward/)

> [I became interested in building furniture, because I couldn't find pieces I really loved for myself and my clients. I picked stuff up from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremiah-brent/i-became-interested-in-building-furniture-because-i-couldn-t-find/)

[Jeremiah Brent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremiah-brent/)

> [Leather accents on pieces make it fun and spices up an outfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-bilson/leather-accents-on-pieces-make-it-fun-and-spices-up-an-outfit/)

[Rachel Bilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-bilson/)

> [There are many pieces that make up our lives: Moments that break us. Moments that raise and shape us. Decisions we make to hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/there-are-many-pieces-that-make-up-our-lives-moments-that-break-us/)

[Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/)

> [Some things just can't be put back together. Some things can never be fixed. Two broken pieces can't make a lot of anything anymore.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-ford/some-things-just-can-t-be-put-back-together-some-things-can-never-be/)

[Jamie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-ford/)

> [God created life as a puzzle to fix out... Different form and shape to find out and to look for... In anyhow, in any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-reolope/god-created-life-as-a-puzzle-to-fix-out-different-form-and-shape-to/)

[Janet Reolope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-reolope/)

> [Women are much more comfortable making their own style rules now. They want pieces that will make their busy lives easier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kors/women-are-much-more-comfortable-making-their-own-style-rules-now-they/)

[Michael Kors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kors/)

> [“People spend their entire lives searching the world for the pieces that will make them whole, yet those pieces are only found within them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-poirot/people-spend-their-entire-lives-searching-the-world-for-the-pieces/)

[Ken Poirot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-poirot/)

> [Everything, in the end, comes down to timing. One second, one minute, one hour, could make all the difference. So much hanging on just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/everything-in-the-end-comes-down-to-timing-one-second-one-minute-one-2/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [I hear about stars being torn to pieces by fans. It never happened to me and I never saw it happen to anyone else](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ladd/i-hear-about-stars-being-torn-to-pieces-by-fans-it-never-happened-to/)

[Alan Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-ladd/)

> [“Woman's life today is tending more and more toward ... 'Zerrissenheit'--torn to pieces-hood. She cannot live perpetually in 'Zerrissenheit.' She will be shattered into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/woman-s-life-today-is-tending-more-and-more-toward-zerrissenheit-torn/)

[Anne Morrow Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/)

## More by Sarah Dessen

> [Sometimes a question can hurt more than an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/sometimes-a-question-can-hurt-more-than-an-answer/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [“if i were a book i would be so open”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/if-i-were-a-book-i-would-be-so-open/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [Harder to get in than out, like so little else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/harder-to-get-in-than-out-like-so-little-else/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [“At times, I found myself questioning his very existence, even though I knew I had, in fact, spotted him, with my own eyes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/at-times-i-found-myself-questioning-his-very-existence-even-though-i/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [You don't have to say it out loud. I already know why you like me.' 'You do, huh?' 'Yep.' He wrapped his arms around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/you-don-t-have-to-say-it-out-loud-i-already-know-why-you-like-me-you/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [No relationship is perfect, ever. There are always some ways you have to bend, to compromise, to give something up in order to gain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/no-relationship-is-perfect-ever-there-are-always-some-ways-you-have/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [When you had to do something, you had to do it. And eventually, if you were lucky, you did it well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/when-you-had-to-do-something-you-had-to-do-it-and-eventually-if-you/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [the truth about forever is that it is happening right now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/the-truth-about-forever-is-that-it-is-happening-right-now/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [I jammed my hand in my jacket pocket, bracing myself fo the next hit, and fel something. Something grainy and samll, sticking to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-jammed-my-hand-in-my-jacket-pocket-bracing-myself-fo-the-next-hit/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [I had no illusions about love anymore. It came, it went, it left casualties or it didn't. People weren't meant to be together forever,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-had-no-illusions-about-love-anymore-it-came-it-went-it-left/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [“But maybe that isn't so bad. You can't love anyone that way more than once in a lifetime. It's too hard and it hurts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/but-maybe-that-isn-t-so-bad-you-can-t-love-anyone-that-way-more-than/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [This was just one night, one chance to vary and see where it took me. The fireflies were probably already out: maybe it wasn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/this-was-just-one-night-one-chance-to-vary-and-see-where-it-took-me/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [call it chicken salad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/call-it-chicken-salad/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [“For me, however, it was a mix of the two, this constant push and pull. I loved it here. But I'd been in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/for-me-however-it-was-a-mix-of-the-two-this-constant-push-and-pull-i/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [I think whenever a writer is really enjoying themselves and liking what they are doing, that shows on the page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-think-whenever-a-writer-is-really-enjoying-themselves-and-liking/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

[Explore all 1,251 Sarah Dessen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

## More Hanging on quotes

> [Always leave a sinking ship. There's no virtue in hanging on to losers. And stocks don't have feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-dunnan/always-leave-a-sinking-ship-there-s-no-virtue-in-hanging-on-to-losers/)

[Nancy Dunnan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-dunnan/)

> [The student ends up lusting after time with the teacher, hanging on her every word, and forgetting that this is about him or her,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoketsu-norman-fischer/the-student-ends-up-lusting-after-time-with-the-teacher-hanging-on/)

[Zoketsu Norman Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoketsu-norman-fischer/)

> [We've never managed, either one of us, to get all the way into life. We're hanging on to the outside for all we're worth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bowles/we-ve-never-managed-either-one-of-us-to-get-all-the-way-into-life-we/)

[Paul Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bowles/)

> [As long as the mind is there, your body and your world are there. Your world is mind-made, subjective, enclosed within the mind, fragmentary,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/as-long-as-the-mind-is-there-your-body-and-your-world-are-there-your/)

[Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/)

> [Have you been called to go out on a limb for God? You can bet it won't be easy. Limb-climbing has never been easy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/have-you-been-called-to-go-out-on-a-limb-for-god-you-can-bet-it-won-t/)

[Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/)

> [as a lobbyist he had long ago concluded there was no difference in how Democrats and Republicans conducted the business of government. The game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-hiaasen/as-a-lobbyist-he-had-long-ago-concluded-there-was-no-difference-in/)

[Carl Hiaasen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-hiaasen/)

> [I don't have my diploma from the University of Nebraska hanging on my office wall, and I don't have my diploma from Columbia up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/i-don-t-have-my-diploma-from-the-university-of-nebraska-hanging-on-my/)

[Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/)

> [A strategist is one who helps people relax into their creative skills. People won't rally unless an idea is beautiful... Everyone is hanging on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pier-giorgio-di-cicco/a-strategist-is-one-who-helps-people-relax-into-their-creative-skills/)

[Pier Giorgio Di Cicco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pier-giorgio-di-cicco/)

> [I lie on the floor, washed by nothing and hanging on. I cry at night. I am afraid of hearing voices, or a voice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/i-lie-on-the-floor-washed-by-nothing-and-hanging-on-i-cry-at-night-i/)

[Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/)

> [I had a constant fascination with the darkside. It is another world, bordering on insanity, and demonic possession, or what I thought was my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-hughes/i-had-a-constant-fascination-with-the-darkside-it-is-another-world/)

[Glenn Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-hughes/)

> [When the painting is hanging on your wall for a long time, you don't notice it. You get tired of it, even if it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julio-iglesias/when-the-painting-is-hanging-on-your-wall-for-a-long-time-you-don-t/)

[Julio Iglesias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julio-iglesias/)

> [Clouds are like boogers hanging on the nostrils of the moon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-williams/clouds-are-like-boogers-hanging-on-the-nostrils-of-the-moon/)

[Robin Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-williams/)

> [Besides, it doesn't matter if it's real. It never does with dreams. They aren't anything anyway but lifesavers to cling to so you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-tharp/besides-it-doesn-t-matter-if-it-s-real-it-never-does-with-dreams-they/)

[Tim Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-tharp/)

> [My own experience is that once a story has been written, one has to cross out the beginning and the end. It is there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/my-own-experience-is-that-once-a-story-has-been-written-one-has-to/)

[Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/)

> [As I look around, I get this sinking feeling that we're off track, that there's something sick in the soul of our country. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-cameron/as-i-look-around-i-get-this-sinking-feeling-that-we-re-off-track-that/)

[Kirk Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-cameron/)

Browse all 131 Hanging on quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I was tired of hanging on, taking the torn pieces to make something whole with them.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Sarah Dessen"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-was-tired-of-hanging-on-taking-the-torn-pieces-to-make-something/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Hanging on"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-was-tired-of-hanging-on-taking-the-torn-pieces-to-make-something/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/899/sarah-dessen-110_hanging-on_i-was-tired-of-hanging-on-taking-the-tor_1547937.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/899/sarah-dessen-110_hanging-on_i-was-tired-of-hanging-on-taking-the-tor_1547937.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/899/sarah-dessen-110_hanging-on_i-was-tired-of-hanging-on-taking-the-tor_1547937.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I was tired of hanging on, taking the torn pieces to make something whole with them.” — Sarah Dessen",
                "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": "Sarah Dessen",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I was tired of hanging on,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-was-tired-of-hanging-on-taking-the-torn-pieces-to-make-something/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-was-tired-of-hanging-on-taking-the-torn-pieces-to-make-something/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
