--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But today when I am 17 and warm and well…" description: "\"But today when I am 17 and warm and well fed, I'm keeping this journal for myself so I can always remember life as we knew it, life as we know it, for ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b4/susan-beth-pfeffer-9577_feds_but-today-when-i-am-17-and-warm-and-well_901223.jpg" --- # But today when I am 17 and warm and well fed, I'm keeping… ![“But today when I am 17 and warm and well fed, I'm keeping this journal for myself so I can always remember life as we knew it, life as we know it, for a time when I am no longer in the sunroom.” quote by Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b4/susan-beth-pfeffer-9577_feds_but-today-when-i-am-17-and-warm-and-well_901223.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b4/susan-beth-pfeffer-9577_feds_but-today-when-i-am-17-and-warm-and-well_901223.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b4/susan-beth-pfeffer-9577_feds_but-today-when-i-am-17-and-warm-and-well_901223.jpg) > “But today when I am 17 and warm and well fed, I'm keeping this journal for myself so I can always remember life as we knew it, life as we know it, for a time when I am no longer in the sunroom.” [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A teen records daily life to preserve memory before an uncertain future. **In simple terms:** Keeping a journal helps remember changing times. Key Takeaway Document experiences for future reflection. Themes memory uncertainty youth survival Mood reflective somber Type literary personal When to use this quote - war zones - climate crisis - personal loss - health emergencies Key Concepts journaling historical record personal narrative Questions to Reflect On - What moments do you fear forgetting? - How does writing affect coping? A Different Perspective Journaling may not capture all emotions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Feds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feds/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) ## Related quotes > [Oh, I don't keep a journal. How you remember an incident is dictated by your emotional state at the time. How you receive the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-fuller/oh-i-don-t-keep-a-journal-how-you-remember-an-incident-is-dictated-by/) [Alexandra Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-fuller/) > [I suffered from a quite severe speech impediment when I was young, and keeping a journal was part of the therapy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-fetherling/i-suffered-from-a-quite-severe-speech-impediment-when-i-was-young-and/) [George Fetherling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-fetherling/) > [I've been keeping a journal since I was in the seventh grade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenifer-lewis/i-ve-been-keeping-a-journal-since-i-was-in-the-seventh-grade/) [Jenifer Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenifer-lewis/) > [I feel happy to be keeping a journal again. I've missed it, missed naming things as they appear, missed the half hour when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/may-sarton/i-feel-happy-to-be-keeping-a-journal-again-i-ve-missed-it-missed/) [May Sarton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/may-sarton/) > [It is this delightful habit of journalizing which largely contributes to form the easy style of writing for which ladies are so generally celebrated.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/it-is-this-delightful-habit-of-journalizing-which-largely-contributes/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [If you feel like keeping a journal-that neither you nor anyone else on earth will ever want to read-be my guest. But if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-masello/if-you-feel-like-keeping-a-journal-that-neither-you-nor-anyone-else/) [Robert Masello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-masello/) > [I've never been one for keeping a journal, so my songs were my journals. They allowed me to express my feelings and let people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-ve-never-been-one-for-keeping-a-journal-so-my-songs-were-my/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [Whether you're keeping a journal or writing as a meditation, it's the same thing. What's important is you're having a relationship with your mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/whether-you-re-keeping-a-journal-or-writing-as-a-meditation-it-s-the/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [“Perhaps you are not sitting in this room, and I am not sitting by you. These are points in which a doubt is equally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/perhaps-you-are-not-sitting-in-this-room-and-i-am-not-sitting-by-you/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [Keeping a journal is like taking good care of one’s heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-kooser/keeping-a-journal-is-like-taking-good-care-of-one-s-heart/) [Ted Kooser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-kooser/) > [I guess whatever maturity is there may be there because I've been keeping a journal forever. In high school my friends would make fun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/i-guess-whatever-maturity-is-there-may-be-there-because-i-ve-been/) [Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/) > [ Keeping a \[journal\] need not be a major chore-just a few minutes of notes each day can be valuable. Writing crystallizes insights, fools the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-n-walsh/keeping-a-journal-need-not-be-a-major-chore-just-a-few-minutes-of/) [Roger N. Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-n-walsh/) > [Keeping a journal will change your life in ways that you'd never imagine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/keeping-a-journal-will-change-your-life-in-ways-that-you-d-never/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [Keeping a journal implies hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/keeping-a-journal-implies-hope/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [Writing is another powerful way to sharpen the mental saw. Keeping a journal of our thoughts, experiences, insights, and learnings promotes mental clarity, exactness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/writing-is-another-powerful-way-to-sharpen-the-mental-saw-keeping-a/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) ## More by Susan Beth Pfeffer > [“I never really thought about how when I look at the moon it’s the same moon Shakespeare and Marie Antoinette and George Washington and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/i-never-really-thought-about-how-when-i-look-at-the-moon-it-s-the/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) > [Great, the worlds coming to an end and we're fixing it with Band-Aids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/great-the-worlds-coming-to-an-end-and-we-re-fixing-it-with-band-aids/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) > [Maybe I'm wrong," Mom said. "Maybe the world really is coming to an end." "Should I try Fox News?" I asked. Mom shuddered. "We're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/maybe-i-m-wrong-mom-said-maybe-the-world-really-is-coming-to-an-end/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) > [“This past year I grew up to know hunger, grief, darkness, fear. I began to understand how lonely you can feel even when all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/this-past-year-i-grew-up-to-know-hunger-grief-darkness-fear-i-began/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) > [But it's our curse and our blessing to remember the past and to know there's a future. —Charlie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/but-it-s-our-curse-and-our-blessing-to-remember-the-past-and-to-know/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) > [Nothing good happened to Romeo or Juliet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/nothing-good-happened-to-romeo-or-juliet/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) > [Matt looked up kids from his high school class. Only three were listed as dead, but a bunch were listed as missing/presumed dead. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/matt-looked-up-kids-from-his-high-school-class-only-three-were-listed/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) > [Even the rats are drowning,' Alex said. Nah,' Kevin said. 'They've been taking swimming lessons at the Y.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/even-the-rats-are-drowning-alex-said-nah-kevin-said-they-ve-been/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) > [What about desserts?" I asked. "If the world comes to an end, I'm going to want cookies." "We're all going to want cookies if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/what-about-desserts-i-asked-if-the-world-comes-to-an-end-i-m-going-to/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) > [“It’s amazing. I never used to like red cabbage, but now when I get only a teaspoon of it, it’s all I can think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/it-s-amazing-i-never-used-to-like-red-cabbage-but-now-when-i-get-only/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) > [I wonder if I'll ever have to decide which is worse, life as we're living or no life at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/i-wonder-if-i-ll-ever-have-to-decide-which-is-worse-life-as-we-re/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) > [“I wondered how many people had sung "By the dawn's early light' yesterday and were dead today.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/i-wondered-how-many-people-had-sung-by-the-dawn-s-early-light/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) > [Sometimes the rules don't work. Sometimes the rules cause the anarchy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/sometimes-the-rules-don-t-work-sometimes-the-rules-cause-the-anarchy/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) > [“Every day when I go to sleep I think what a jerk I was to have felt sorry for myself the day before. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/every-day-when-i-go-to-sleep-i-think-what-a-jerk-i-was-to-have-felt/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) > [...when I came back, I found Mom sobbing at the kitchen table...Then I asked her what had happened. 'Nothing,'she said. 'I was thinking about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/when-i-came-back-i-found-mom-sobbing-at-the-kitchen-table-then-i/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) [Explore all 71 Susan Beth Pfeffer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) ## More Feds quotes > [So mightiest powers buy deepest calms are fed, And sleep, how oft, in things that gentlest be!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-procter/so-mightiest-powers-buy-deepest-calms-are-fed-and-sleep-how-oft-in/) [Bryan Procter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-procter/) > [People who are complaining about the Fed are people who've been predicting runaway inflation for five and six years, and it hasn't happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/people-who-are-complaining-about-the-fed-are-people-who-ve-been/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [You never get fed up scoring goals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-shearer/you-never-get-fed-up-scoring-goals/) [Alan Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-shearer/) > [I was always hungry for love. Just once, I wanted to know what it was like to get my fill of it -- to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-was-always-hungry-for-love-just-once-i-wanted-to-know-what-it-was/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [I'm fed up with the idiots... the ever-widening gap between people who know how to make movies and the people who green-light the movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-connery/i-m-fed-up-with-the-idiots-the-ever-widening-gap-between-people-who/) [Sean Connery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-connery/) > [The Feds can kiss my ass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darryl-strawberry/the-feds-can-kiss-my-ass/) [Darryl Strawberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darryl-strawberry/) > [The people are fed up with their elected officials playing the blame game and treating their political counterparts as enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-lewis/the-people-are-fed-up-with-their-elected-officials-playing-the-blame/) [Carl Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-lewis/) > [Fear not. For fear itself is fed by fear, and all fears pass. Did no one tell you so? Come take my hand, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-dennis/fear-not-for-fear-itself-is-fed-by-fear-and-all-fears-pass-did-no-one/) [Felix Dennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-dennis/) > [I liked the game, I enjoyed the game, and the game fed me enough, and gave me enough rewards to reinforce that this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-erving/i-liked-the-game-i-enjoyed-the-game-and-the-game-fed-me-enough-and/) [Julius Erving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-erving/) > [Wringing your hands about states' rights, forget it. They're gone. Basically, the federal government can do whatever it wants. Who's going to protect the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/wringing-your-hands-about-states-rights-forget-it-they-re-gone/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [Republican voters are fed up with Democrats and Democrat policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/republican-voters-are-fed-up-with-democrats-and-democrat-policy/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The wild black scavengers of the skies laid their eggs in season and lovingly fed their young. They soared high over prairies and mountains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-m-miller-jr-2/the-wild-black-scavengers-of-the-skies-laid-their-eggs-in-season-and/) [Walter M. Miller, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-m-miller-jr-2/) > [It must be fundamentally wrong to reduce production of food and fiber while one-third of our population is still ill fed and ill clothed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/it-must-be-fundamentally-wrong-to-reduce-production-of-food-and-fiber/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [What if today.. you were inspired and fed by your thoughts instead of being confined by them?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjo-riikka-makela/what-if-today-you-were-inspired-and-fed-by-your-thoughts-instead-of/) Marjo-Riikka Makela > [We live in a world that is dominated by science. And that's not a bad thing - not at all. But one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-critchley/we-live-in-a-world-that-is-dominated-by-science-and-that-s-not-a-bad/) [Simon Critchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-critchley/) [Browse all 996 Feds quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feds/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "But today when I am 17 and warm and well fed, I'm keeping this journal for myself so I can always remember life as we knew it, life as we know it, for a time when I am no longer in the sunroom.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Susan Beth Pfeffer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/but-today-when-i-am-17-and-warm-and-well-fed-i-m-keeping-this-journal/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Feds" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/but-today-when-i-am-17-and-warm-and-well-fed-i-m-keeping-this-journal/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b4/susan-beth-pfeffer-9577_feds_but-today-when-i-am-17-and-warm-and-well_901223.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b4/susan-beth-pfeffer-9577_feds_but-today-when-i-am-17-and-warm-and-well_901223.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b4/susan-beth-pfeffer-9577_feds_but-today-when-i-am-17-and-warm-and-well_901223.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But today when I am 17 and warm and well fed, I'm keeping this journal for myself so I can always remember…” — Susan Beth Pfeffer", "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": "Susan Beth Pfeffer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "But today when I am 17...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/but-today-when-i-am-17-and-warm-and-well-fed-i-m-keeping-this-journal/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/but-today-when-i-am-17-and-warm-and-well-fed-i-m-keeping-this-journal/#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 } } ] } ```