--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Standing on the shore, I prayed for my…" description: "\"“Standing on the shore, I prayed for my dead. I praised them. I stupidly hoped that the lake would heal my small wounds. Then I stripped off my clothes..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/095/sherman-alexie-444_hoped_standing-on-the-shore-i-prayed-for-my-de_1872591.jpg" --- # Standing on the shore, I prayed for my dead. I praised… ![“Standing on the shore, I prayed for my dead. I praised them. I stupidly hoped that the lake would heal my small wounds. Then I stripped off my clothes and waded naked into the water. Jesus, I don't want to die today or tomorrow, but I don't want to live forever.” quote by Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/095/sherman-alexie-444_hoped_standing-on-the-shore-i-prayed-for-my-de_1872591.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/095/sherman-alexie-444_hoped_standing-on-the-shore-i-prayed-for-my-de_1872591.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/095/sherman-alexie-444_hoped_standing-on-the-shore-i-prayed-for-my-de_1872591.jpg) > ““Standing on the shore, I prayed for my dead. I praised them. I stupidly hoped that the lake would heal my small wounds. Then I stripped off my clothes and waded naked into the water. Jesus, I don't want to die today or tomorrow, but I don't want to live forever.”” [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) ## 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 wrestles with grief, faith, and existential dread, expressing a desire to avoid both death and eternal life. **In simple terms:** Grief leads to conflicted wishes about life and death. Key Takeaway Embrace healing without fearing eternity. Themes grief spirituality existential crisis Mood melancholic contemplative Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - therapy - ritual cleansing - personal reflection Key Concepts mortality faith psychological conflict Questions to Reflect On - What does the water symbolize for you? - How can you find peace without extreme actions? A Different Perspective The metaphorical act may not resolve underlying trauma; professional help may be needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Live forever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-forever/) ## Related quotes > [Peter was the only one who walked on water besides Jesus, but he was also the only one who got out of the boat.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/peter-was-the-only-one-who-walked-on-water-besides-jesus-but-he-was/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [From time immemorial men have quenched their thirst with water without knowing anything about its chemical constituents. 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About noontime, Jesus rested by Jacob’s well, and His followers went to buy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-partner/the-woman-at-jacob-s-well-jesus-traveled-from-judea-to-samaria-about/) [Daniel Partner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-partner/) > [“Jesus, I don’t want to die today or tomorrow, but I don’t want to live forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/jesus-i-don-t-want-to-die-today-or-tomorrow-but-i-don-t-want-to-live/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Go find someone who will care for ye good, to sit quiet by yore side at the fire, an' if he treats ye decent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-jacques/go-find-someone-who-will-care-for-ye-good-to-sit-quiet-by-yore-side/) [Brian Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-jacques/) > [Nothing you write, if you hope to be good, will ever come out as you first hoped.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/nothing-you-write-if-you-hope-to-be-good-will-ever-come-out-as-you/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [“I hoped his last sensation was the euphoria. The peace. The love. I had to believe it was the love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffanie-debartolo/i-hoped-his-last-sensation-was-the-euphoria-the-peace-the-love-i-had/) [Tiffanie DeBartolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffanie-debartolo/) > [“I hoped he was right. I’d never heard of a university refusing money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-harrison/i-hoped-he-was-right-i-d-never-heard-of-a-university-refusing-money/) [Kim Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-harrison/) > [My parents prepared me for the worst, hoped for the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darci-lynne-farmer/my-parents-prepared-me-for-the-worst-hoped-for-the-best/) [Darci Lynne Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darci-lynne-farmer/) > [“At the bottom of her heart, however, she was waiting for something to happen. Like shipwrecked sailors, she turned despairing eyes upon the solitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/at-the-bottom-of-her-heart-however-she-was-waiting-for-something-to/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [My intent was to gain experience for fiction I eventually hoped to write. But there's no question I was drawn in by the hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-rachman/my-intent-was-to-gain-experience-for-fiction-i-eventually-hoped-to/) [Tom Rachman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-rachman/) > [Everything that I have ever hoped to accomplish, she has done and done better than anyone I have ever seen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-hathaway/everything-that-i-have-ever-hoped-to-accomplish-she-has-done-and-done/) [Anne Hathaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-hathaway/) ## More by Sherman Alexie > [“He says the earth is an oval marble that nobody can win. He says the sky is not blue and the grass is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/he-says-the-earth-is-an-oval-marble-that-nobody-can-win-he-says-the/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Now, in the old days, Indians used to be forgiving of any kind of eccentricity. In fact, weird people were often celebrated. Epileptics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/now-in-the-old-days-indians-used-to-be-forgiving-of-any-kind-of/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [Since Jesus was human then he most assuredly farted and burped. And if God did create us in God's image then God must fart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/since-jesus-was-human-then-he-most-assuredly-farted-and-burped-and-if/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“A century ago she might have been beautiful, her face reflected in the river instead of a mirror. But all the years have changed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/a-century-ago-she-might-have-been-beautiful-her-face-reflected-in-the/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“In all those stories, I could fly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/in-all-those-stories-i-could-fly/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [I don't think there's a whole lot of class literature at all. I think most of that has become racially based, and people don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-whole-lot-of-class-literature-at-all-i-think/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [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/) > [“Is there really a difference between that killing and this killing? Does God approve of some killing and not other killing? If I kill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/is-there-really-a-difference-between-that-killing-and-this-killing/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Son, things have never been like how you think they used to be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/son-things-have-never-been-like-how-you-think-they-used-to-be/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [My parents banned nothing, though the Christian fundamentalists in my tribe held book-and-record burnings every now and again. So, yes, fundamentalist assholes can also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/my-parents-banned-nothing-though-the-christian-fundamentalists-in-my/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Or maybe I could have anesthetized myself with homework and extra credit and binge-reading.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/or-maybe-i-could-have-anesthetized-myself-with-homework-and-extra/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Dear wife, I'm sorry that I am mysteriously incapable of folding clean laundry, but I iron, oh, I iron. Sweetheart, I'll make your white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/dear-wife-i-m-sorry-that-i-am-mysteriously-incapable-of-folding-clean/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Gordy,” I said. “I need to talk to you." "I don't have time," he said. "Mr. Orcutt and I have to debug some PCs.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/gordy-i-said-i-need-to-talk-to-you-i-don-t-have-time-he-said-mr/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“The United States wants all of us to forget the crimes it committed against the indigenous. The United States wants us to forget. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/the-united-states-wants-all-of-us-to-forget-the-crimes-it-committed/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [I think that white women are more apt to read laterally. So I think there's some strong identification for women, and their political and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/i-think-that-white-women-are-more-apt-to-read-laterally-so-i-think/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) [Explore all 546 Sherman Alexie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) ## More Hoped quotes > [Everything that I have ever hoped to accomplish, she has done and done better than anyone I have ever seen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-hathaway/everything-that-i-have-ever-hoped-to-accomplish-she-has-done-and-done/) [Anne Hathaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-hathaway/) > [My intent was to gain experience for fiction I eventually hoped to write. But there's no question I was drawn in by the hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-rachman/my-intent-was-to-gain-experience-for-fiction-i-eventually-hoped-to/) [Tom Rachman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-rachman/) > [“At the bottom of her heart, however, she was waiting for something to happen. Like shipwrecked sailors, she turned despairing eyes upon the solitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/at-the-bottom-of-her-heart-however-she-was-waiting-for-something-to/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [My parents prepared me for the worst, hoped for the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darci-lynne-farmer/my-parents-prepared-me-for-the-worst-hoped-for-the-best/) [Darci Lynne Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darci-lynne-farmer/) > [“I hoped he was right. I’d never heard of a university refusing money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-harrison/i-hoped-he-was-right-i-d-never-heard-of-a-university-refusing-money/) [Kim Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-harrison/) > [“I hoped his last sensation was the euphoria. The peace. The love. I had to believe it was the love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffanie-debartolo/i-hoped-his-last-sensation-was-the-euphoria-the-peace-the-love-i-had/) [Tiffanie DeBartolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffanie-debartolo/) > [Nothing you write, if you hope to be good, will ever come out as you first hoped.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/nothing-you-write-if-you-hope-to-be-good-will-ever-come-out-as-you/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [“Go find someone who will care for ye good, to sit quiet by yore side at the fire, an' if he treats ye decent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-jacques/go-find-someone-who-will-care-for-ye-good-to-sit-quiet-by-yore-side/) [Brian Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-jacques/) > [“And now, Irewen, I will ask what you hoped for all along. I have chosen you as my Protector. Will you allow me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andi-o-connor/and-now-irewen-i-will-ask-what-you-hoped-for-all-along-i-have-chosen/) Andi O'Connor > [“He whispered: ‘Is it this? Is this possible? I’ll put a marvel to you. That your cousin has always hoped. That from the very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-forster-2/he-whispered-is-it-this-is-this-possible-i-ll-put-a-marvel-to-you/) [E.M. Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-forster-2/) > [When I came out I hoped it would empower others - and it has.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gareth-thomas/when-i-came-out-i-hoped-it-would-empower-others-and-it-has/) [Gareth Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gareth-thomas/) > [Life has not turned out as I hoped it would.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/life-has-not-turned-out-as-i-hoped-it-would/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [there are times when life surprises one, and anything may happen, even what one had hoped for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/there-are-times-when-life-surprises-one-and-anything-may-happen-even/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [We had hoped to have been bringing you Arthur the Human Chameleon, but this afternoon, he crawled across a tartan rug and died of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-barker/we-had-hoped-to-have-been-bringing-you-arthur-the-human-chameleon-but/) [Ronnie Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-barker/) > [“This dream you had wasn’t a someday dream, it was a right-now dream. You would never be happy in New York. You would never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-santopolo/this-dream-you-had-wasn-t-a-someday-dream-it-was-a-right-now-dream/) [Jill Santopolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-santopolo/) Browse all 304 Hoped quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Standing on the shore, I prayed for my dead. I praised them. I stupidly hoped that the lake would heal my small wounds. Then I stripped off my clothes and waded naked into the water. 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