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Quote of the day by Andrew Garfield: ‘Sadness is kind of a gift. It’s a lovely thing to feel, in a way, because…’
Andrew Garfield's quote shows a healthy way to process grief: feeling the sadness while also remembering the good times we shared with those we miss.
Andrew Garfield might have burst onto the scene with The Amazing Spider-Man films and will likely be forever associated with the Marvel superhero, but his body of work is diverse enough to have something for every audience.
From The Social Network to Hacksaw Ridge, Tick, Tick... Boom! to We Live in Time, he has delivered phenomenal performances on screen time and again. He is also a popular face in theatre with shows like Death of a Salesman and Angels in America under his belt.
But more importantly, Andrew is a ray of sunshine with an infectious laugh that has touched many hearts. He turned 43 yesterday, and to commemorate the day, today’s quote is an excerpt from his conversation with Elmo on Sesame Street in 2024.
The quote reads, “Sadness is kind of a gift. It’s a lovely thing to feel, in a way, because it means you really love somebody when you miss them.”
What does Andrew Garfield’s quote mean?
Andrew Garfield was discussing grief with Elmo in the interaction from which the quote has been taken. The actor lost his mother in 2019. He told Elmo that he still misses her and feels sad about losing her. But the fact that he feels sad for her only suggests how much he loved her. And the opportunity to love someone truly is a wonderful thing in itself.
“I’m just thinking about my mum today. She passed away not too long ago, and I miss her a lot,” Andrew tells Elmo during their interaction, and when Elmo says that missing someone makes him sad, the actor replies:
“Oh yeah, me too. Me too. But that sadness, it's kind of a gift. It's kind of a lovely thing to feel, in a way, because it means you really loved somebody when you miss them. And when I miss someone, I remember—when I miss my mom, I remember all of the cuddles I used to get from her, all of the hugs I used to get from her. Yeah, just like that. And it makes me feel close to her when I miss her in a strange way.
“So I'm happy to have all the memories of my mom and the joy she brought me and the joy she brought my brother and my dad and everyone she ever met, everyone around her. So when I miss, I remember it's because she made me so happy. So I can celebrate her, and I can miss her at the same time.”
What is the relevance of Andrew Garfield’s quote?
During the interaction, Andrew Garfield explained one of the healthiest ways to process grief. It is one of the most natural experiences, and even though it makes one sad, it deserves to be felt.
But that sadness should not push one towards darkness or hopelessness. Rather, it should be a reminder of the wonderful bond that has resulted in the grief, and encourage one to celebrate the true relationships that they had the privilege of having.
