---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But then he returned and our life went…"
description: "\"“But then he returned and our life went on. Three days gone. A week. I measured the time in the faint waning of my consciousness of my misery, and wond..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b56/sue-miller-18553_life_but-then-he-returned-and-our-life-went-o_2071991.jpg"
---

#  But then he returned and our life went on. Three days…

![“But then he returned and our life went on. Three days gone. A week. I measured the time in the faint waning of my consciousness of my misery, and wondered if this would one day be enough: simply not to be consciously miserable anymore.” quote by Sue Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b56/sue-miller-18553_life_but-then-he-returned-and-our-life-went-o_2071991.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b56/sue-miller-18553_life_but-then-he-returned-and-our-life-went-o_2071991.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b56/sue-miller-18553_life_but-then-he-returned-and-our-life-went-o_2071991.jpg)

> ““But then he returned and our life went on. Three days gone. A week. I measured the time in the faint waning of my consciousness of my misery, and wondered if this would one day be enough: simply not to be consciously miserable anymore.””

[Sue Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-miller/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Enduring hardship, the narrator measures time by fleeting consciousness, hoping to escape persistent misery.

**In simple terms:** Counting time to escape misery.

Key Takeaway

Seek ways to reduce suffering.

Themes

suffering time resilience

Mood

reflective somber

Type

philosophical emotional

When to use this quote

- recovering from loss
- mental health struggles
- grief processing
- long-term illness

Key Concepts

existential psychological hope

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you measure progress in healing?
- What small steps can lessen misery?

A Different Perspective

Hope may be unrealistic without action.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Misery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misery/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

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