Quote of the day by former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy: ‘There comes a time in life when you walk away from all the drama…’ – a reminder to choose peace over negativity

Life can sometimes become crowded with people, expectations and conflicts that leave little room for peace. Knowing when to step away can be just as important as knowing when to stay. A quotation widely attributed to former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy reflects that idea, urging people to stop giving their energy to unnecessary drama and instead value those who bring happiness, dignity and encouragement into their lives.

Who was Jacqueline Kennedy?

Jacqueline Lee Bouvier was born on July 28, 1929, in Southampton, New York. She studied at Vassar College before spending her junior year in France and later graduating from George Washington University with a degree in French literature in 1951.


After college, she worked as an “inquiring photographer” for the Washington Times-Herald, where her job involved asking questions and photographing people in Washington. In 1952, she met John F. Kennedy, then a congressman. They married on September 12, 1953.

When Kennedy became president in 1960, Jacqueline moved into the White House with him and their young children. As first lady from 1961 to 1963, she became known not only for her distinctive style but also for her interest in history, architecture, literature and the arts.

One of her most significant projects was restoring and preserving the historic character of the White House. She established the Fine Arts Committee, helped create the White House Historical Association and worked to acquire historically important furnishings. Her televised White House tour in 1962 introduced millions of viewers to the building's history and earned her an Emmy Award.

A life shaped by public attention and private loss

Kennedy's public life was accompanied by profound personal tragedies. She and John F. Kennedy lost a child, Patrick, who was born prematurely in August 1963 and died two days later.

Just months afterward, on November 22, 1963, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. Jacqueline Kennedy was beside him during the motorcade and subsequently played a central role in planning his state funeral, drawing inspiration from Abraham Lincoln's funeral.

After leaving the White House, she moved to New York and married Greek businessman Aristotle Onassis in 1968. Following his death in 1975, she worked as an editor at Doubleday and continued her interest in historic preservation. Among the causes she supported was the effort to preserve New York's Grand Central Terminal.

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis died on May 19, 1994, aged 64.

Quote of the day by Jackie Kennedy

“A person once said.... there comes a time in life, when you walk away from all the drama and people who create it. you surround yourself with people who make you laugh, forget the bad that cause grief and shame, and focus on the good that make you proud. so love the people who treat you right, pray for those that don't. lifes to short to be anything but happy. falling down is a part of life, getting back up is living.”

The quotation presents life as a process of choosing where to place one's attention. Its central message is not simply to avoid difficult people, but to recognize when continued involvement in conflict is taking more from you than it gives back.

It also contrasts two responses to hardship. Falling down represents the setbacks that are unavoidable in life, while getting back up represents resilience. The emphasis is therefore on recovery rather than perfection.

What does the quote mean?

The strongest idea in the passage is the distinction between what happens to us and how we respond to it. People cannot always control betrayal, criticism, disappointment or conflict. They can, however, make decisions about which relationships deserve their time and which situations are worth continuing to engage with.

The advice to surround yourself with people who make you laugh and focus on what makes you proud also points toward the importance of supportive relationships. Rather than allowing painful experiences to become the centre of life, the quote encourages people to make room for relationships and experiences that provide meaning.

Its final thought, that falling down is part of life but getting back up is living, turns the quotation from a message about avoiding negativity into one about resilience.

Jacqueline Kennedy's words on life, history and privacy

“The White House belongs to the American people.”

“There are many little ways to enlarge your child’s world. Love of books is the best of all.”

“I want to live my life, not record it.”