--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They may be nothing like you, he had…" description: "\"“They may be nothing like you, he had written, they may surprise you, they may even repel you when their behavior is out of control, when they climb ou..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc8/alice-hoffman-427_children_they-may-be-nothing-like-you-he-had-writ_2880394.png" --- # They may be nothing like you, he had written, they may… ![“They may be nothing like you, he had written, they may surprise you, they may even repel you when their behavior is out of control, when they climb out their windows and drink underage and break every rule, but you will love them in a way you had not thought possible before, no matter who they…” quote by Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc8/alice-hoffman-427_children_they-may-be-nothing-like-you-he-had-writ_2880394.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc8/alice-hoffman-427_children_they-may-be-nothing-like-you-he-had-writ_2880394.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc8/alice-hoffman-427_children_they-may-be-nothing-like-you-he-had-writ_2880394.png) > ““They may be nothing like you, he had written, they may surprise you, they may even repel you when their behavior is out of control, when they climb out their windows and drink underage and break every rule, but you will love them in a way you had not thought possible before, no matter who they turn out to be.”” [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She reflects on loving unconventional people despite their flaws, suggesting love can transcend expectations and surprise. **In simple terms:** Love can defy expectations. Key Takeaway Embrace imperfect connections. Themes love acceptance diversity surprise humanity Mood warm thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - friendships - romantic relationships - community building Key Concepts psychology of attachment social inclusion literary themes Questions to Reflect On - What qualities do you value in others? - How do you handle unexpected behavior? A Different Perspective Loving all can be risky. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Underage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/underage/) ## Related quotes > [“Some people are bringing the business tricks of scarcity mentality into God's mind. They will tell you that only a few will see God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/some-people-are-bringing-the-business-tricks-of-scarcity-mentality/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [“Happiness is surrounding yourself only with those who bestow their unconditional love and support.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-poirot/happiness-is-surrounding-yourself-only-with-those-who-bestow-their/) [Ken Poirot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-poirot/) > [“I really love you, Lola. Unconditionally,” I said as I started to cry again. “I really love you too. Unconditionally,” she replied.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-gilbert/i-really-love-you-lola-unconditionally-i-said-as-i-started-to-cry/) Brooke Gilbert > [“Animals are a gift from above for they truly define the words unconditional love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-wolf/animals-are-a-gift-from-above-for-they-truly-define-the-words/) [Heather Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-wolf/) > [“Use the word 'ya'll' and before you knew it, you'd find yourself in a haystack french-kissing an underage goat”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/use-the-word-ya-ll-and-before-you-knew-it-you-d-find-yourself-in-a/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [A lot of people use the phrase 'underage violence,' which, to me, is meaningless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goldman/a-lot-of-people-use-the-phrase-underage-violence-which-to-me-is/) [Jane Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goldman/) > [Sex underage pussy start wit y](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jcole/sex-underage-pussy-start-wit-y/) Jcole > [Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. It's not like the sheep was underage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-mochrie/ladies-and-gentlemen-of-the-jury-it-s-not-like-the-sheep-was-underage/) [Colin Mochrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-mochrie/) > [It is critical that parents and other trusted adults initiate conversations with kids about underage drinking well in advance of the first time they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xavier-becerra/it-is-critical-that-parents-and-other-trusted-adults-initiate/) [Xavier Becerra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xavier-becerra/) > [The New World is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). There is some intense, bloodless violence and the beautiful underage lead actress (15-year-old Q'orianka Kilcher)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manohla-dargis/the-new-world-is-rated-pg-13-parents-strongly-cautioned-there-is-some/) [Manohla Dargis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manohla-dargis/) > [“What have you gotten me into?" I hissed to him. "Me? What have you gotten yourself into? Couldn't I have just picked you up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/what-have-you-gotten-me-into-i-hissed-to-him-me-what-have-you-gotten/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [I like older boys, but they think, 'She's underage.' I'd love to have somebody in mind when I sing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-moore/i-like-older-boys-but-they-think-she-s-underage-i-d-love-to-have/) [Mandy Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-moore/) > [Photo shoots for underage girls are like letting an ant walk around with honey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-dickinson/photo-shoots-for-underage-girls-are-like-letting-an-ant-walk-around/) [Janice Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-dickinson/) > [With such compelling information, the question is why haven't we been able to do more to prevent the crisis of underage drinking? The answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-roybal-allard/with-such-compelling-information-the-question-is-why-haven-t-we-been/) [Lucille Roybal-Allard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-roybal-allard/) > [“For you, there is underage, and then, there is underage. I believe a taste of wine is perfectly acceptable, but please stick to one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-johnson/for-you-there-is-underage-and-then-there-is-underage-i-believe-a/) [Maureen Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-johnson/) ## More by Alice Hoffman > [Women know things that men will never know. We keep the best secrets. We tell the best stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/women-know-things-that-men-will-never-know-we-keep-the-best-secrets/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [“All of the quarters in his hand were tarnished. He had no idea that the silver in a man’s pockets always turns black if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/all-of-the-quarters-in-his-hand-were-tarnished-he-had-no-idea-that/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [But most important of all, she explained that it was all right to say 'No. I disagree.' that was a gift. I understood it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/but-most-important-of-all-she-explained-that-it-was-all-right-to-say/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [“It was after dark when the woods were most filled with magic, when there were fireflies and the mist was rising from the streams.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/it-was-after-dark-when-the-woods-were-most-filled-with-magic-when/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [“Never look back, that's what she's told herself. Don't think about swans or being alone in the dark. Don't think of storms, or lightning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/never-look-back-that-s-what-she-s-told-herself-don-t-think-about/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [This was what it meant to be human, to know that time moved and all things changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/this-was-what-it-meant-to-be-human-to-know-that-time-moved-and-all/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [“She preferred cats to human beings and turned down every offer from the men who fell in love with her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/she-preferred-cats-to-human-beings-and-turned-down-every-offer-from/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [I'm a really eclectic reader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/i-m-a-really-eclectic-reader/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [It's not the lie that's the problem; it's the distance the lie forges between you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/it-s-not-the-lie-that-s-the-problem-it-s-the-distance-the-lie-forges/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [“Her vision was going, but she could see him, the way people see clouds-beautiful, racing by, casting shadows.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/her-vision-was-going-but-she-could-see-him-the-way-people-see-clouds/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [That's why there are ten gates to pass through before you reach the garden. If life were easy there would be one gate. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/that-s-why-there-are-ten-gates-to-pass-through-before-you-reach-the/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [“...the summer of the gypsy moths when all the trees in their yard were bare, the leaves chewed by caterpillars. You could hear crunching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/the-summer-of-the-gypsy-moths-when-all-the-trees-in-their-yard-were/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [“The best way to die is when you're living.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/the-best-way-to-die-is-when-you-re-living/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [“Haylin was given a good talking-to by the headmaster and made to write a paper about workers’ rights, which he considered a privilege rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/haylin-was-given-a-good-talking-to-by-the-headmaster-and-made-to/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [My darling girl, when are you going to realize that being normal is not necessarily a virtue? It rather denotes a lack of courage."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/my-darling-girl-when-are-you-going-to-realize-that-being-normal-is/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) [Explore all 571 Alice Hoffman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/) [Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/) [Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/) [Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) [Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“They may be nothing like you, he had written, they may surprise you, they may even repel you when their behavior is out of control, when they climb out their windows and drink underage and break every rule, but you will love them in a way you had not thought possible before, no matter who they turn out to be.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alice Hoffman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/they-may-be-nothing-like-you-he-had-written-they-may-surprise-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Children" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/they-may-be-nothing-like-you-he-had-written-they-may-surprise-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc8/alice-hoffman-427_children_they-may-be-nothing-like-you-he-had-writ_2880394.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc8/alice-hoffman-427_children_they-may-be-nothing-like-you-he-had-writ_2880394.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc8/alice-hoffman-427_children_they-may-be-nothing-like-you-he-had-writ_2880394.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“They may be nothing like you, he had written, they may surprise you, they may even repel you when their…” — Alice Hoffman", "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": "Alice Hoffman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“They may be nothing like you,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/they-may-be-nothing-like-you-he-had-written-they-may-surprise-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/they-may-be-nothing-like-you-he-had-written-they-may-surprise-you/#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 } } ] } ```