---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was adopted legally around age three…"
description: "\"I was adopted legally around age three, but it's not like this thing I think about when I wake up every day. I was adopted by my foster parents, so I w..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51e/angel-olsen-15631_adopted_i-was-adopted-legally-around-age-three-b_1438675.jpg"
---

#  I was adopted legally around age three, but it's not like…

![“I was adopted legally around age three, but it's not like this thing I think about when I wake up every day. I was adopted by my foster parents, so I was comfortable with them. I wasn't in this alien place.” quote by Angel Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51e/angel-olsen-15631_adopted_i-was-adopted-legally-around-age-three-b_1438675.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51e/angel-olsen-15631_adopted_i-was-adopted-legally-around-age-three-b_1438675.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51e/angel-olsen-15631_adopted_i-was-adopted-legally-around-age-three-b_1438675.jpg)

> “I was adopted legally around age three, but it's not like this thing I think about when I wake up every day. I was adopted by my foster parents, so I was comfortable with them. I wasn't in this alien place.”

[Angel Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angel-olsen/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker reflects on early adoption, noting it shaped identity but isn’t a constant preoccupation.

**In simple terms:** Adoption shaped her, but she doesn’t dwell on it daily.

Key Takeaway

Acknowledge past influences without letting them dominate thoughts.

Themes

identity family growth

Mood

reflective introspective

Type

personal narrative

When to use this quote

- family gatherings
- therapy sessions
- personal essays
- self‑reflection

Key Concepts

psychology memory attachment

Questions to Reflect On

- How do early experiences shape present identity?
- When do we let past events define us?

A Different Perspective

May overlook ongoing emotional impacts of early experiences.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Aliens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aliens/) [Foster parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foster-parent/) [Foster Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foster-parents/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Wake up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wake-up/)

## Related quotes

> [I moved up over Lower East Side and I was adopted by eight foster parents; I lived all over New York City with these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-corso/i-moved-up-over-lower-east-side-and-i-was-adopted-by-eight-foster/)

[Gregory Corso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-corso/)

> [There is always need for good foster parents, people who have room in their homes, the openhearted people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antwone-fisher/there-is-always-need-for-good-foster-parents-people-who-have-room-in/)

[Antwone Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antwone-fisher/)

> [“Not a few millions of parents strongly hope that their own children will step in by instantly becoming their own parents’ foster parents, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/not-a-few-millions-of-parents-strongly-hope-that-their-own-children/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [ ~Wyatt \[my adopted son\] is definitely all mine. Little souls find their way to you whether they're from your womb or someone else's.~ ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-crow/wyatt-my-adopted-son-is-definitely-all-mine-little-souls-find-their/)

[Sheryl Crow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-crow/)

> [My parents adopted me from foster care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-husted/my-parents-adopted-me-from-foster-care/)

[Jon Husted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-husted/)

> [“Shaw resented being questioned by the Temple Planning Commission. It felt especially offensive because, besides her constant responsibilities as a foster parent, she had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-guinn/shaw-resented-being-questioned-by-the-temple-planning-commission-it/)

[Jeff Guinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-guinn/)

> [If you can't become the foster parent, you can partner with them, hold their hand, hold them up when they need it, provide, mentor,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-anne-tuohy/if-you-can-t-become-the-foster-parent-you-can-partner-with-them-hold/)

[Leigh Anne Tuohy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-anne-tuohy/)

> [ “\[The little black boy\] had seen Tarzan bring down a buck, just as Numa, the lion, might have done... Tibo had shuddered at the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-rice-burroughs/the-little-black-boy-had-seen-tarzan-bring-down-a-buck-just-as-numa/)

[Edgar Rice Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-rice-burroughs/)

> [A great foster parent can end the cycle of abuse and neglect, and impact not just the foster child's life, but also that child's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-lilley/a-great-foster-parent-can-end-the-cycle-of-abuse-and-neglect-and/)

[Jen Lilley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-lilley/)

> [Passionate jealousy is not a good foster-parent for prudence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elinor-glyn/passionate-jealousy-is-not-a-good-foster-parent-for-prudence/)

[Elinor Glyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elinor-glyn/)

> [It takes a lot to become a foster parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosie-o-donnell/it-takes-a-lot-to-become-a-foster-parent/)

[Rosie O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosie-o-donnell/)

> [“Whether our caretaker was our mom, dad, uncle, aunt, grandparent, foster parent, or sibling, our blueprint of what a relationship is supposed to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-crockett/whether-our-caretaker-was-our-mom-dad-uncle-aunt-grandparent-foster/)

[Kristen Crockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-crockett/)

> [From my foster parents, the Deans, I received the love that was ultimately to strengthen me, even when I had forgotten its source. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-dean-myers/from-my-foster-parents-the-deans-i-received-the-love-that-was/)

[Walter Dean Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-dean-myers/)

> [My wife and I are foster parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-garcetti/my-wife-and-i-are-foster-parents/)

[Eric Garcetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-garcetti/)

> [“Sunny was a treat to read. It is most appealing as the story is very well done and the artwork is beautiful. I applaud…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-macinnis-schimmel/sunny-was-a-treat-to-read-it-is-most-appealing-as-the-story-is-very/)

Theresa Macinnis Schimmel

## More by Angel Olsen

> [In a lot of senses, things are definitely changing in my life, and with what's going on around me. But I still feel like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-olsen/in-a-lot-of-senses-things-are-definitely-changing-in-my-life-and-with/)

[Angel Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angel-olsen/)

> [I just want to scream: "I'm being honest, I swear!" Maybe it's embarrassing, but I don't care anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-olsen/i-just-want-to-scream-i-m-being-honest-i-swear-maybe-it-s/)

[Angel Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angel-olsen/)

> [I've been writing a lot of songs in twos, songs that are like twins in my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-olsen/i-ve-been-writing-a-lot-of-songs-in-twos-songs-that-are-like-twins-in/)

[Angel Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angel-olsen/)

> [People should know each other because they want to, because they have things in common.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-olsen/people-should-know-each-other-because-they-want-to-because-they-have/)

[Angel Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angel-olsen/)

> [I enjoy singing the songs a certain way, but I don't even know how the writing even began. To me, it's work that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-olsen/i-enjoy-singing-the-songs-a-certain-way-but-i-don-t-even-know-how-the/)

[Angel Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angel-olsen/)

> [I learned how to be more theatrical and have more fun, and to take a song and sing it over and over again in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-olsen/i-learned-how-to-be-more-theatrical-and-have-more-fun-and-to-take-a/)

[Angel Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angel-olsen/)

> [I don't know what folk music means anymore, because the meaning of that just keeps changing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-olsen/i-don-t-know-what-folk-music-means-anymore-because-the-meaning-of/)

[Angel Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angel-olsen/)

> [A lot of people ask me if I'm OK. I'm capable of crazy - a lot of people are - but I'm OK.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-olsen/a-lot-of-people-ask-me-if-i-m-ok-i-m-capable-of-crazy-a-lot-of-people/)

[Angel Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angel-olsen/)

> [I sometimes write as if I were talking to myself, or to a mirror, or to someone for the last time. There's this element…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-olsen/i-sometimes-write-as-if-i-were-talking-to-myself-or-to-a-mirror-or-to/)

[Angel Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angel-olsen/)

> [It's very important to enjoy time alone with yourself and just existing, because existence is kind of cool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-olsen/it-s-very-important-to-enjoy-time-alone-with-yourself-and-just/)

[Angel Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angel-olsen/)

> [My first ever tour of my music was in the Netherlands. I didn't really have a grace period to grow or anything; people just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-olsen/my-first-ever-tour-of-my-music-was-in-the-netherlands-i-didn-t-really/)

[Angel Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angel-olsen/)

> [I'm sure that the meaning of the songs that I've written will change for me over the years, the same way that I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-olsen/i-m-sure-that-the-meaning-of-the-songs-that-i-ve-written-will-change/)

[Angel Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angel-olsen/)

> [Different cultures have different audiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-olsen/different-cultures-have-different-audiences/)

[Angel Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angel-olsen/)

> [I wasn't an only child, but I was the youngest, and no one else in my family played music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-olsen/i-wasn-t-an-only-child-but-i-was-the-youngest-and-no-one-else-in-my/)

[Angel Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angel-olsen/)

> [The family that raised me are awesome people and they are my mother and my father and my brother and my sister. I've never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-olsen/the-family-that-raised-me-are-awesome-people-and-they-are-my-mother/)

[Angel Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angel-olsen/)

[Explore all 42 Angel Olsen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angel-olsen/)

## More Adopted quotes

> [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/)

[Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/)

> [Somehow destiny comes into play. These children end up with you and you end up with them. It's something quite magical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-kidman/somehow-destiny-comes-into-play-these-children-end-up-with-you-and/)

[Nicole Kidman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-kidman/)

> [Azerbaijan unleashed the war, and was defeated in that war; Azerbaijan asked for truce (including from the Commander of Karabakh's forces) and later started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serzh-sargsyan/azerbaijan-unleashed-the-war-and-was-defeated-in-that-war-azerbaijan/)

[Serzh Sargsyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serzh-sargsyan/)

> [I'm not at all against white people adopting black children, because we're all human beings who need to give love and be nurtured in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kola-boof/i-m-not-at-all-against-white-people-adopting-black-children-because/)

[Kola Boof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kola-boof/)

> [Susan, an only child who never had any roots, and I, a lone wolf who got married 20 years to late, were adopted by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harpo-marx/susan-an-only-child-who-never-had-any-roots-and-i-a-lone-wolf-who-got/)

[Harpo Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harpo-marx/)

> [We may argue eloquently that 'Honesty is the best Policy' - unfortunately, the moment honesty is adopted for the sake of policy it mysteriously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/we-may-argue-eloquently-that-honesty-is-the-best-policy-unfortunately/)

[Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/)

> [A son or daughter in any human family is either born to or adopted by the parents. By definition, a child can't be both.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-bridges/a-son-or-daughter-in-any-human-family-is-either-born-to-or-adopted-by/)

[Jerry Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-bridges/)

> [. . . by natural selection our mind has adapted itself to the conditions of the external world. It has adopted the geometry most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/by-natural-selection-our-mind-has-adapted-itself-to-the-conditions-of/)

[Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/)

> [I was adopted my black Americans, I feel that I'm a 'Hybrid'. When I'm around Africans'I suddenly feel very black American. And when I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kola-boof/i-was-adopted-my-black-americans-i-feel-that-i-m-a-hybrid-when-i-m/)

[Kola Boof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kola-boof/)

> [I did this one movie with a great director named Wayne Kramer. It was 'Crossing Over,' and Harrison Ford, Ashley Judd and Ray Liotta…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-chon/i-did-this-one-movie-with-a-great-director-named-wayne-kramer-it-was/)

[Justin Chon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-chon/)

> [I had severed relations with the Romanian exiles who had become politically conservative and even extremely right wing; I was giving chess lessons to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/i-had-severed-relations-with-the-romanian-exiles-who-had-become/)

[Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/)

> [People, the common people, can genuinely see what I'm doing. Moreover, people know that I have adopted four principles in living my life: simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdul-sattar-edhi/people-the-common-people-can-genuinely-see-what-i-m-doing-moreover/)

[Abdul Sattar Edhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdul-sattar-edhi/)

> [To a large extent, the American church has become merged with the world. It has adopted so many of the world's ideals and standards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/to-a-large-extent-the-american-church-has-become-merged-with-the/)

[Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/)

> [When you're adopted, no matter what, you've got issues with unconditional love. And you find out you're the product of the worst situation for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-atkins/when-you-re-adopted-no-matter-what-you-ve-got-issues-with/)

[Rodney Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-atkins/)

> [Capitalism justified itself and was adopted as an economic principle on the express ground that it provides selfish motives for doing good, and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/capitalism-justified-itself-and-was-adopted-as-an-economic-principle/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

Browse all 735 Adopted quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I was adopted legally around age three, but it's not like this thing I think about when I wake up every day. I was adopted by my foster parents, so I was comfortable with them. I wasn't in this alien place.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Angel Olsen"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-olsen/i-was-adopted-legally-around-age-three-but-it-s-not-like-this-thing-i/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Adopted"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-olsen/i-was-adopted-legally-around-age-three-but-it-s-not-like-this-thing-i/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51e/angel-olsen-15631_adopted_i-was-adopted-legally-around-age-three-b_1438675.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51e/angel-olsen-15631_adopted_i-was-adopted-legally-around-age-three-b_1438675.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51e/angel-olsen-15631_adopted_i-was-adopted-legally-around-age-three-b_1438675.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I was adopted legally around age three, but it's not like this thing I think about when I wake up every day…” — Angel Olsen",
                "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": "Angel Olsen",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angel-olsen/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I was adopted legally around age...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-olsen/i-was-adopted-legally-around-age-three-but-it-s-not-like-this-thing-i/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-olsen/i-was-adopted-legally-around-age-three-but-it-s-not-like-this-thing-i/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
