--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Instinctively, I held my hand to my chest…" description: "\"“Instinctively, I held my hand to my chest sure that holding pressure would prevent my bleeding heart’s contents from seeping out. Needing a reprieve, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7f/t-r-graves-40782_quote_instinctively-i-held-my-hand-to-my-chest_2163947.jpg" --- # Instinctively, I held my hand to my chest sure that… ![“Instinctively, I held my hand to my chest sure that holding pressure would prevent my bleeding heart’s contents from seeping out. Needing a reprieve, I dropped the announcement. I heard it sweep across the hardwood floor seconds before I turned to leave. - Allison La Crosse” quote by T.R. Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7f/t-r-graves-40782_quote_instinctively-i-held-my-hand-to-my-chest_2163947.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7f/t-r-graves-40782_quote_instinctively-i-held-my-hand-to-my-chest_2163947.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7f/t-r-graves-40782_quote_instinctively-i-held-my-hand-to-my-chest_2163947.jpg) > ““Instinctively, I held my hand to my chest sure that holding pressure would prevent my bleeding heart’s contents from seeping out. Needing a reprieve, I dropped the announcement. I heard it sweep across the hardwood floor seconds before I turned to leave. - Allison La Crosse”” [T.R. Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-graves/) ## 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 tries to control emotional pain by physically restraining it, but the inevitable release forces a public acknowledgment of grief. **In simple terms:** Holding back grief leads to an unavoidable outburst. Key Takeaway Allow emotions to flow safely. Themes grief self‑control vulnerability Mood somber introspective Type literary emotional When to use this quote - therapy sessions - memorials - personal journaling - artistic performance Key Concepts psychological coping expression of loss Questions to Reflect On - When have you felt compelled to hide pain? - How can you express grief without shame? A Different Perspective Suppressing feelings may cause internal damage. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bleeding heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bleeding-heart/) ## Related quotes > [“I could have held his hand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cronin/i-could-have-held-his-hand/) [Justin Cronin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cronin/) > [“And you have held my hand for reasons not at all”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-bruen/and-you-have-held-my-hand-for-reasons-not-at-all/) [Ken Bruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-bruen/) > [I could feel it in the way you held my hand, like you were holding on to something you no longer want to have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-could-feel-it-in-the-way-you-held-my-hand-like-you-were-holding-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All I want was for things to go back to the way it was. When you held my hand... Before I got caught in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alla/all-i-want-was-for-things-to-go-back-to-the-way-it-was-when-you-held/) [Alla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alla/) > [When you held my hand you told me to trust you. I did but when I held yours why did you let go?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-dominique/when-you-held-my-hand-you-told-me-to-trust-you-i-did-but-when-i-held/) Nicole Dominique > [“Puppy, I am getting so tired of listening to you whine about this,” he snarled at Zeke. “This isn’t rocket science. If you don’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-kagawa/puppy-i-am-getting-so-tired-of-listening-to-you-whine-about-this-he/) [Julie Kagawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-kagawa/) > [If all these guys think that nothing is going to come out for 100 years, they're going to act a whole lot more boldly.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-gup/if-all-these-guys-think-that-nothing-is-going-to-come-out-for-100/) [Ted Gup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-gup/) > [“Art is the magical act of one bleeding heart healing another.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akash-mandal/art-is-the-magical-act-of-one-bleeding-heart-healing-another/) [Akash Mandal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akash-mandal/) > [Life is not orderly. 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And I'm proud of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-garner/i-m-a-bleeding-heart-liberal-one-of-those-card-carrying-democrats/) [James Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-garner/) > [Soon the purple dark must bruise Lily and bleeding-heart and rose, And the little Cupid lose Eyes and ears and chin and nose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-justice/soon-the-purple-dark-must-bruise-lily-and-bleeding-heart-and-rose-and/) [Donald Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-justice/) ## More by T.R. Graves > [“A true test of someone’s love is how they act when they’re stressed and not how much they love you when everything’s goin’ good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-graves/a-true-test-of-someone-s-love-is-how-they-act-when-they-re-stressed/) [T.R. Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-graves/) > [“With the eeriness of the pounding I couldn’t help but think about my nonphysical traits ones known only by me. Much to my relief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-graves/with-the-eeriness-of-the-pounding-i-couldn-t-help-but-think-about-my/) [T.R. Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-graves/) > [“With his revelation,...I shattered into a million shards. I felt each piece as it splintered and separated from the whole like a glass I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-graves/with-his-revelation-i-shattered-into-a-million-shards-i-felt-each/) [T.R. Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-graves/) > [“Having been born and raised in ‘The Sportsman’s Paradise’, I had an instant longing for Daddy. When I was hurt as a little girl,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-graves/having-been-born-and-raised-in-the-sportsman-s-paradise-i-had-an/) [T.R. Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-graves/) > [“I-I'm sorry, Allie. It was so hard for me to be down here without you instead of up there with you. 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Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-graves/) > [“The day I met you is the day by which all others will be measured. — Levi Ian Bryson”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-graves/the-day-i-met-you-is-the-day-by-which-all-others-will-be-measured/) [T.R. Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-graves/) [Explore all 10 T.R. Graves quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-graves/) ## More Bleeding heart quotes > [If all these guys think that nothing is going to come out for 100 years, they're going to act a whole lot more boldly.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-gup/if-all-these-guys-think-that-nothing-is-going-to-come-out-for-100/) [Ted Gup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-gup/) > [“Art is the magical act of one bleeding heart healing another.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akash-mandal/art-is-the-magical-act-of-one-bleeding-heart-healing-another/) [Akash Mandal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akash-mandal/) > [Life is not orderly. No matter how we try to make life so, right in the middle of it we die, lose a leg,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/life-is-not-orderly-no-matter-how-we-try-to-make-life-so-right-in-the/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [I'm an unapologetic, bleeding heart liberal who thinks the world should be fairer and kinder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kira-permunian/i-m-an-unapologetic-bleeding-heart-liberal-who-thinks-the-world/) [Kira Permunian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kira-permunian/) > [“Puppy, I am getting so tired of listening to you whine about this,” he snarled at Zeke. “This isn’t rocket science. If you don’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-kagawa/puppy-i-am-getting-so-tired-of-listening-to-you-whine-about-this-he/) [Julie Kagawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-kagawa/) > [I'm a 'bleeding-heart liberal,' one of those card-carrying Democrats that Rush Limbaugh thinks is a communist. And I'm proud of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-garner/i-m-a-bleeding-heart-liberal-one-of-those-card-carrying-democrats/) [James Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-garner/) > [Soon the purple dark must bruise Lily and bleeding-heart and rose, And the little Cupid lose Eyes and ears and chin and nose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-justice/soon-the-purple-dark-must-bruise-lily-and-bleeding-heart-and-rose-and/) [Donald Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-justice/) > [“Then we had the irises, rising beautiful and cool on their tall stalks, like blown glass, like pastel water momentarily frozen in a splash,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/then-we-had-the-irises-rising-beautiful-and-cool-on-their-tall-stalks/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“A mind can bleed a heart to death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/munia-khan/a-mind-can-bleed-a-heart-to-death/) [Munia Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/munia-khan/) > [If you look hard at it, if you look hard at the bleeding heart attitude to always throw money at issues, throw money at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-forrest/if-you-look-hard-at-it-if-you-look-hard-at-the-bleeding-heart/) [Andrew Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-forrest/) > [I must warn you right here and now that I am a 'wet leftie,' a 'leftist' and also a member of the 'bleeding heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leunig/i-must-warn-you-right-here-and-now-that-i-am-a-wet-leftie-a-leftist/) [Michael Leunig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leunig/) > [I was a bleeding-heart liberal, until I got a job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-popper/i-was-a-bleeding-heart-liberal-until-i-got-a-job/) [John Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-popper/) > [My austerities, fasting and prayers are, I know, of no value if I rely upon them for reforming me. My penance is the prayer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/my-austerities-fasting-and-prayers-are-i-know-of-no-value-if-i-rely/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“There is a delicate-looking plant native to North America called bleeding heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-aterovis/there-is-a-delicate-looking-plant-native-to-north-america-called/) Josh Aterovis > [“I'd rather have a bleeding heart than no heart at all”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-ingro/i-d-rather-have-a-bleeding-heart-than-no-heart-at-all/) [Jessica Ingro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-ingro/) [Browse all 70 Bleeding heart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bleeding-heart/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Instinctively, I held my hand to my chest sure that holding pressure would prevent my bleeding heart’s contents from seeping out. 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