--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The rules took a while to sort out. Lena…" description: "\"The rules took a while to sort out. Lena and Carmen wanted to focus on friendship-type rules, stuff about keeping in touch with one another over the su..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e8/ann-brashares-572_focus_the-rules-took-a-while-to-sort-out-lena_3171965.png" --- # The rules took a while to sort out. Lena and Carmen wanted… ![“The rules took a while to sort out. Lena and Carmen wanted to focus on friendship-type rules, stuff about keeping in touch with one another over the summer, and making sure the Pants kept moving from one girl to the next. Tibby preferred to focus on random things you could and couldn't do in the…” quote by Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e8/ann-brashares-572_focus_the-rules-took-a-while-to-sort-out-lena_3171965.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e8/ann-brashares-572_focus_the-rules-took-a-while-to-sort-out-lena_3171965.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e8/ann-brashares-572_focus_the-rules-took-a-while-to-sort-out-lena_3171965.png) > “The rules took a while to sort out. Lena and Carmen wanted to focus on friendship-type rules, stuff about keeping in touch with one another over the summer, and making sure the Pants kept moving from one girl to the next. Tibby preferred to focus on random things you could and couldn't do in the Pants --- like picking your nose.” [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The characters prioritize casual friendship rules over strict guidelines, emphasizing flexibility and fun. **In simple terms:** Friends focus on easy, fun rules rather than strict ones. Key Takeaway Embrace flexible, fun friendship norms. Themes friendship flexibility youth Mood lighthearted nostalgic Type narrative conversational When to use this quote - summer plans - group activities - shared rituals Key Concepts social bonding adolescent development Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance fun and structure in friendships? - What rules help maintain connection? A Different Perspective Too much flexibility can lead to lack of boundaries. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/girl/) [Random things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/random-things/) [Summer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/summer/) ## Related quotes > [Where does Terry live? Somewhere deep inside. 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With kids, you can say, 'Let's go pick some flowers'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-klum/sometimes-random-things-that-you-wouldn-t-think-mean-anything-mean-so/) [Heidi Klum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-klum/) > [Sometimes in life, random things can blind-side you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-ryan/sometimes-in-life-random-things-can-blind-side-you/) [Michelle Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-ryan/) > [If I liked an idea, even slightly, I would throw some money at it. 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It's personal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-wren-scott/random-things-are-luxurious-to-people-it-s-personal/) [L'Wren Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-wren-scott/) > [I get inspiration from movies, from fashion, then completely random things you'd never think of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santigold/i-get-inspiration-from-movies-from-fashion-then-completely-random/) [Santigold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santigold/) > [People ask me about all sorts of sounds. There's a sound of a screeching toy or a rubber duck and everybody asks me about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kieran-hebden/people-ask-me-about-all-sorts-of-sounds-there-s-a-sound-of-a/) [Kieran Hebden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kieran-hebden/) > [If we have to be cat burglars, I'm going to see what' to steal in the fridge." We're trying to find evidence she's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/if-we-have-to-be-cat-burglars-i-m-going-to-see-what-to-steal-in-the/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [Sometimes my brain goes on CD shuffle. You know, you put a bunch of CD's on and hit play and random things come out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bette-midler/sometimes-my-brain-goes-on-cd-shuffle-you-know-you-put-a-bunch-of-cd/) [Bette Midler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bette-midler/) > [“My room was made up of strange, random things, but then, so was I.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-mcguire/my-room-was-made-up-of-strange-random-things-but-then-so-was-i/) [Jamie McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-mcguire/) ## More by Ann Brashares > [“Because the truth wouldn't be comforting and wouldn't bring them closer again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/because-the-truth-wouldn-t-be-comforting-and-wouldn-t-bring-them/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [“It’s by living that you live more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/it-s-by-living-that-you-live-more/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [“¿Iban a sumirla en la tristeza antes de hacerla feliz? No, por favor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/iban-a-sumirla-en-la-tristeza-antes-de-hacerla-feliz-no-por-favor/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [“When she made her way to the big picture window that framed the dining room table she froze. She stopped breathing. The anger was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/when-she-made-her-way-to-the-big-picture-window-that-framed-the/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [“Lena remembered herself in all the old familiar things they said. She existed in her friends; there she was. All the parts of herself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/lena-remembered-herself-in-all-the-old-familiar-things-they-said-she/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [Everyone is fragile. 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If you don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/you-don-t-have-time-len-that-is-the-most-bitter-and-the-most/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [“You couldn’t count on Providence for anything ever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/you-couldn-t-count-on-providence-for-anything-ever/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [Gestating characters feels something like the mental equivalent of gestating a baby. In both cases, to create them you lose yourself. 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Her skin seemed to grow a million extra pores, and all of them opened to take in the warmth and tenderness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/the-weather-turned-her-skin-seemed-to-grow-a-million-extra-pores-and/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [She wanted him to notice her so much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/she-wanted-him-to-notice-her-so-much/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [“No matter how it felt to be near him, she had to keep her swollen heart in check.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/no-matter-how-it-felt-to-be-near-him-she-had-to-keep-her-swollen/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [Maybe happiness was just a matter of the little upticks- the traffic signal that said "Walk" the second you go there- and downticks- the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/maybe-happiness-was-just-a-matter-of-the-little-upticks-the-traffic/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) [Explore all 465 Ann Brashares quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) ## More Focus quotes > [If you take your eye off the ball or lose focus for even a minute you can lose a game against any team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felipe-anderson/if-you-take-your-eye-off-the-ball-or-lose-focus-for-even-a-minute-you/) [Felipe Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felipe-anderson/) > [Music is a job, but I figured out ways to get my mind into a place where I could be creative. 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But I can tell you that my biggest competition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-kwan/if-you-ask-another-competitor-they-may-tell-you-they-felt-very/) [Michelle Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-kwan/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [All I'm focused on is playing my game. 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