--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There was a time in my life when I…" description: "\"“There was a time in my life when I believed I could have a place in the world, that I deserved bigger things than the average young woman because I co..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/323/sarah-schmidt-41348_family-life_there-was-a-time-in-my-life-when-i-belie_1568677.jpg" --- # There was a time in my life when I believed I could have a… ![“There was a time in my life when I believed I could have a place in the world, that I deserved bigger things than the average young woman because I could imagine an existence outside of Fall River, outside family life. Then I turned twenty-five and everything I knew about myself all but ended. It…” quote by Sarah Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/323/sarah-schmidt-41348_family-life_there-was-a-time-in-my-life-when-i-belie_1568677.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/323/sarah-schmidt-41348_family-life_there-was-a-time-in-my-life-when-i-belie_1568677.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/323/sarah-schmidt-41348_family-life_there-was-a-time-in-my-life-when-i-belie_1568677.jpg) > ““There was a time in my life when I believed I could have a place in the world, that I deserved bigger things than the average young woman because I could imagine an existence outside of Fall River, outside family life. Then I turned twenty-five and everything I knew about myself all but ended. It was the year Father tried to marry me off.”” [Sarah Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-schmidt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator once felt hopeful for a larger destiny, but societal expectations and marriage plans halted that vision. **In simple terms:** Dreams were crushed by expectations. Key Takeaway Resist external pressures to pursue personal dreams. Themes identity expectations gender family Mood reflective determined Type personal social When to use this quote - career planning - relationship decisions - cultural critique Key Concepts feminist theory coming-of-age Questions to Reflect On - What limits personal ambition? - How to balance duty and desire? A Different Perspective Family pressures can also provide support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Family life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family-life/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Young woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-woman/) ## Related quotes > [One time I tried to marry a chicken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calum-hood/one-time-i-tried-to-marry-a-chicken/) [Calum Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calum-hood/) > [I wanted a family, but before I had a family, I was a career person. I've tried to marry those two things, and sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-jessica-parker/i-wanted-a-family-but-before-i-had-a-family-i-was-a-career-person-i/) [Sarah Jessica Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-jessica-parker/) > [Whenever I have faced a setback I have dusted myself down and got on with the rest of my life because I believed in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-green/whenever-i-have-faced-a-setback-i-have-dusted-myself-down-and-got-on/) [Philip Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-green/) > [What would happen if you believed it, if you came to the place where you knew it was true? Your life would never be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/what-would-happen-if-you-believed-it-if-you-came-to-the-place-where/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [Before you came into my life, I believed that God had abandoned me. Now I know that He has blessed me beyond measure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayma/before-you-came-into-my-life-i-believed-that-god-had-abandoned-me-now-2/) [Mayma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayma/) > [My whole life I always believed in myself and my abilities, in how hard I worked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shai-gilgeous-alexander/my-whole-life-i-always-believed-in-myself-and-my-abilities-in-how/) [Shai Gilgeous-Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shai-gilgeous-alexander/) > [All my life I had believed that unless I was perfect I would not be loved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/all-my-life-i-had-believed-that-unless-i-was-perfect-i-would-not-be/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) > [Somehow, you can never and ever accept a lie! Unless it's the only thing in your life that you believed in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince/somehow-you-can-never-and-ever-accept-a-lie-unless-it-s-the-only/) [Vince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince/) > [“All my life, I have believed that hard work and effort will be rewarded.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joelle-charbonneau/all-my-life-i-have-believed-that-hard-work-and-effort-will-be-rewarded/) [Joelle Charbonneau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joelle-charbonneau/) > [“I asked myself what I believed. I had never prayed a lot. I hoped hard, wished hard, but I didn't pray. I had developed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-armstrong/i-asked-myself-what-i-believed-i-had-never-prayed-a-lot-i-hoped-hard/) [Lance Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-armstrong/) > [“There comes a moment in life where everything you ever believed in comes crashing down, leaving you gasping for air.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shahd-alshammari/there-comes-a-moment-in-life-where-everything-you-ever-believed-in/) [Shahd Alshammari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shahd-alshammari/) > [“All her life she had believed in something more, in the mystery that shape-shifted at the edge of her senses. It was the flutter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eowyn-ivey/all-her-life-she-had-believed-in-something-more-in-the-mystery-that/) [Eowyn Ivey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eowyn-ivey/) > [The powerful men in my life have always believed in me: my husband, my son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-collins/the-powerful-men-in-my-life-have-always-believed-in-me-my-husband-my/) [Judy Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-collins/) > [All the delights of sense, or heart, or intellect, with which you could once have tempted him, even the delights of virtue itself, now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/all-the-delights-of-sense-or-heart-or-intellect-with-which-you-could/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“All her life she had believed in something more, in the mystery that shape-shifted at the edge of her senses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eowyn-ivey/all-her-life-she-had-believed-in-something-more-in-the-mystery-that-2/) [Eowyn Ivey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eowyn-ivey/) ## More by Sarah Schmidt > [“The life I'd had was disappearing. Every adult who had ever held me as a baby was dead and no one would ever carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-schmidt/the-life-i-d-had-was-disappearing-every-adult-who-had-ever-held-me-as/) [Sarah Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-schmidt/) > [“When Father brought us here to see Mother all those years ago, he told us that she wouldn't leave our minds, that she would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-schmidt/when-father-brought-us-here-to-see-mother-all-those-years-ago-he-told/) [Sarah Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-schmidt/) > [“Night carved out the moon. Things became quiet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-schmidt/night-carved-out-the-moon-things-became-quiet/) [Sarah Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-schmidt/) > [“I could tell the officer all of this because it was the truth. All of this happened in the house at some stage. Should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-schmidt/i-could-tell-the-officer-all-of-this-because-it-was-the-truth-all-of/) [Sarah Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-schmidt/) > [“How quickly does the body forget its history?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-schmidt/how-quickly-does-the-body-forget-its-history/) [Sarah Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-schmidt/) > [“How many years does it take to grow into someone?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-schmidt/how-many-years-does-it-take-to-grow-into-someone/) [Sarah Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-schmidt/) > [“I headed downtown; the clink of bone souvenir in my bag made heads turn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-schmidt/i-headed-downtown-the-clink-of-bone-souvenir-in-my-bag-made-heads-turn/) [Sarah Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-schmidt/) > [“I folded Lizzie into small pieces. But the letters did not stop.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-schmidt/i-folded-lizzie-into-small-pieces-but-the-letters-did-not-stop/) [Sarah Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-schmidt/) > [“How far a woman could travel if she really put her mind to it. And I put my mind to it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-schmidt/how-far-a-woman-could-travel-if-she-really-put-her-mind-to-it-and-i/) [Sarah Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-schmidt/) [Explore all 10 Sarah Schmidt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-schmidt/) ## More Family life quotes > [I mean family is more important than anything in life. Family is important than my crew, D-Block, my rap career anything... It's the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/styles-p/i-mean-family-is-more-important-than-anything-in-life-family-is/) [Styles P](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/styles-p/) > [“For within the very structure of family life, in families that do or did embrace the male religions, are the almost invisibly accepted social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merlin-stone/for-within-the-very-structure-of-family-life-in-families-that-do-or/) [Merlin Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merlin-stone/) > [Family is life; acting is making a living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/family-is-life-acting-is-making-a-living/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [In Roslyn, Pennsylvania, we started our real-life family circus. They provided the inspiration for my cartoons. I provided the perspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bil-keane/in-roslyn-pennsylvania-we-started-our-real-life-family-circus-they/) [Bil Keane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bil-keane/) > [Obviously, your family life is the priority, but there's still other stuff you have to get done in a day. I think the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-crawford/obviously-your-family-life-is-the-priority-but-there-s-still-other/) [Cindy Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-crawford/) > [My father was in real estate, banking, and land management. As family life, it was very conventional, happy, and comfortable. We weren't wealthy, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-child/my-father-was-in-real-estate-banking-and-land-management-as-family/) [Julia Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-child/) > [“Generally speaking, most of our vital, spontaneous, instinctual life gets shamed. Children are shamed for being too rambunctious, for wanting things and for laughing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/generally-speaking-most-of-our-vital-spontaneous-instinctual-life/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) > [Once you run for office, you're in it - sort of like going into the military. You'd better be damned sure it is what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy-jr/once-you-run-for-office-you-re-in-it-sort-of-like-going-into-the/) [John F. Kennedy Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy-jr/) > [The moment you realize your stuck with your crazy family for life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinahi-martinez/the-moment-you-realize-your-stuck-with-your-crazy-family-for-life/) [Sinahi Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinahi-martinez/) > [“Sarah drew a deep breath and released it slowly, waiting for her voice to steady before she spoke. “It’s a ve ry good story.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-dee/sarah-drew-a-deep-breath-and-released-it-slowly-waiting-for-her-voice/) [Bonnie Dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-dee/) > [My family life reads a bit like 'Little House on the Prairie.' I was big sister to Joan, Renee, and brother William, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maeve-binchy/my-family-life-reads-a-bit-like-little-house-on-the-prairie-i-was-big/) [Maeve Binchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maeve-binchy/) > [“Love transcends all barriers. Age, Gender, Caste et al are the diktats of society to thwart love, promote strait jacketed family life . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayant-swamy/love-transcends-all-barriers-age-gender-caste-et-al-are-the-diktats/) [Jayant Swamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayant-swamy/) > [ If \[people\] place such things as friendship and family ties above their own productive work, yes, then they are immoral. Friendship, family life and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/if-people-place-such-things-as-friendship-and-family-ties-above-their/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“The worst part of it has been, I think, the adverse effect on family life. It kills off family conversation. And it’s harder to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/the-worst-part-of-it-has-been-i-think-the-adverse-effect-on-family/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [“To live the same family life as his father and forefathers—that is, in the same condition of culture—and to bring up his children in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/to-live-the-same-family-life-as-his-father-and-forefathers-that-is-in/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) [Browse all 670 Family life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family-life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There was a time in my life when I believed I could have a place in the world, that I deserved bigger things than the average young woman because I could imagine an existence outside of Fall River, outside family life. Then I turned twenty-five and everything I knew about myself all but ended. 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