---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We can't understand when we're pregnant…"
description: "\"We can't understand when we're pregnant, or when our siblings are expecting, how profound it is to have a shared history with a younger generation: blo..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bb/anne-lamott-188_blood_we-can-t-understand-when-we-re-pregnant_452181.jpg"
---

#  We can't understand when we're pregnant, or when our…

![“We can't understand when we're pregnant, or when our siblings are expecting, how profound it is to have a shared history with a younger generation: blood, genes, humor. It means we were actually here, on Earth, for a time - like the Egyptians with their pyramids, only with children.” quote by Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bb/anne-lamott-188_blood_we-can-t-understand-when-we-re-pregnant_452181.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bb/anne-lamott-188_blood_we-can-t-understand-when-we-re-pregnant_452181.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bb/anne-lamott-188_blood_we-can-t-understand-when-we-re-pregnant_452181.jpg)

> “We can't understand when we're pregnant, or when our siblings are expecting, how profound it is to have a shared history with a younger generation: blood, genes, humor. It means we were actually here, on Earth, for a time - like the Egyptians with their pyramids, only with children.”

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

## About This Quote

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

Recognizing that our existence is linked to future generations gives life meaning beyond personal experience.

**In simple terms:** Our lives matter because we connect to future generations.

Key Takeaway

Cherish and nurture relationships with younger family members.

Themes

family legacy intergenerational meaning existence

Mood

reflective warm thoughtful

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- parenting
- family gatherings
- teaching children
- legacy planning

Key Concepts

genealogy shared history purpose

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we support younger relatives without imposing our expectations?
- What traditions do you want to pass on?

A Different Perspective

May overlook individual autonomy of younger generations.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Generation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generation/) [Generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generations/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Pregnant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pregnant/) [Profound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profound/) [Pyramids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pyramids/) [Sibling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sibling/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Younger generation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/younger-generation/)

## Related quotes

> [I don't even think people really understand how you can get pregnant or when you get pregnant. I still have questions about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-kirkman/i-don-t-even-think-people-really-understand-how-you-can-get-pregnant/)

[Jen Kirkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-kirkman/)

> [I would go back to the past and watch one of the early Beatles shows, because they were such a massive part of cultural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-tomlinson/i-would-go-back-to-the-past-and-watch-one-of-the-early-beatles-shows/)

[Louis Tomlinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-tomlinson/)

> [We are at a pivotal moment in our shared history. The global goals of a healthy planet, social equality, and economic opportunity for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/achim-steiner/we-are-at-a-pivotal-moment-in-our-shared-history-the-global-goals-of/)

[Achim Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/achim-steiner/)

> [The Philippines and the U.S. have had a strong relationship with each other for a very long time now. We have a shared history.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-macapagal-arroyo/the-philippines-and-the-u-s-have-had-a-strong-relationship-with-each/)

[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-macapagal-arroyo/)

> [What do you call it when two people have intense shared history? when nothing can separate them? Soul Sisters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susane-colasanti/what-do-you-call-it-when-two-people-have-intense-shared-history-when/)

[Susane Colasanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susane-colasanti/)

> [Nothing like being with people you’ve known almost your entire life. Having a shared history is something you just can’t create with the new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-green/nothing-like-being-with-people-you-ve-known-almost-your-entire-life/)

[Jane Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-green/)

> [Here in Pennsylvania, we have it all - from top tier sports and events, award-winning restaurants, incredible hikes and state parks, and the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-shapiro/here-in-pennsylvania-we-have-it-all-from-top-tier-sports-and-events/)

[Josh Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-shapiro/)

> [“We shared a history without ever crossing paths.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kailey-bright/we-shared-a-history-without-ever-crossing-paths/)

Kailey Bright

> [Stories bring us together. We can talk about them and bond over them. They are shared knowledge, shared legend, and shared history; often, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-konnikova/stories-bring-us-together-we-can-talk-about-them-and-bond-over-them/)

[Maria Konnikova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-konnikova/)

> [I think community is a shared history, it's a shared experience. It's not always agreement. In fact, I think that often it isn't. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/i-think-community-is-a-shared-history-it-s-a-shared-experience-it-s/)

[Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/)

> [They were like two pieces of a failed star, drawn together by a shared history and a memory of illicit kisses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cinda-williams-chima/they-were-like-two-pieces-of-a-failed-star-drawn-together-by-a-shared/)

[Cinda Williams Chima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cinda-williams-chima/)

> [The history of jazz lets us know that this period in our history is not the only period we've come through together. If we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/the-history-of-jazz-lets-us-know-that-this-period-in-our-history-is/)

[Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/)

> [I'm not just working for myself anymore. I'm working for my kid as well, someone who's actually looking up to me on a whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-mcdonald/i-m-not-just-working-for-myself-anymore-i-m-working-for-my-kid-as/)

[Jessica McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-mcdonald/)

> [I have a few different managers, and one of them hit me up today and was like 'I'm going to set you up with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-bunting/i-have-a-few-different-managers-and-one-of-them-hit-me-up-today-and/)

[Shane Bunting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-bunting/)

> [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/)

[Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/)

## More by Anne Lamott

> [What an incredible drug fear is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/what-an-incredible-drug-fear-is/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [I guess he'll have to figure out someday that he is supposed to have this dark side, that it is part of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-guess-he-ll-have-to-figure-out-someday-that-he-is-supposed-to-have/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [It's funny where we look for salvation, and where we actually find it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/it-s-funny-where-we-look-for-salvation-and-where-we-actually-find-it/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [Why couldn't Jesus command us to obsess over everything, to try to control and manipulate people, to try not to breathe at all, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/why-couldn-t-jesus-command-us-to-obsess-over-everything-to-try-to/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [Publication is not all that it is cracked up to be. But writing is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/publication-is-not-all-that-it-is-cracked-up-to-be-but-writing-is/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [Your problem is how you are going to spend this one odd and precious life you have been issued. Whether you're going to spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/your-problem-is-how-you-are-going-to-spend-this-one-odd-and-precious/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [And yet, I do believe there is ultimately meaning in the chaos, and also in the doldrums. What I resist is not the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/and-yet-i-do-believe-there-is-ultimately-meaning-in-the-chaos-and/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [Raising a child, whether or not it is yours, is like Nautilus of the heart and soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/raising-a-child-whether-or-not-it-is-yours-is-like-nautilus-of-the/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [“I heard a preacher say recently that hope is a revolutionary patience; let me add that so is being a writer. Hope begins in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-heard-a-preacher-say-recently-that-hope-is-a-revolutionary-patience/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [“I think perfectionism is based on the obsessive belief that if you run carefully enough, hitting each stepping-stone just right, you won't have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-think-perfectionism-is-based-on-the-obsessive-belief-that-if-you/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [All criticism hurts me. I'm so in the wrong business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/all-criticism-hurts-me-i-m-so-in-the-wrong-business/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [We are going to die, as is everyone we adore - I hate this! But the question is, how do we live as women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/we-are-going-to-die-as-is-everyone-we-adore-i-hate-this-but-the/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [“You will go through your life thinking there was a day in second grade that you must have missed, when the grown-ups came in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/you-will-go-through-your-life-thinking-there-was-a-day-in-second/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [“You begin to string words together like beads to tell a story. You are desperate to communicate, to edify or entertain, to preserve moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/you-begin-to-string-words-together-like-beads-to-tell-a-story-you-are/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [“You lose the known package of your nice organized self almost instantly here. Overeating is one way back, the way it is at funerals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/you-lose-the-known-package-of-your-nice-organized-self-almost/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

[Explore all 976 Anne Lamott quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

## More Blood quotes

> [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/)

[Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/)

> [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/)

[John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/)

> [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/)

[Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/)

> [Don't trust everyone, because one day you will shed tears of blood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunshine/don-t-trust-everyone-because-one-day-you-will-shed-tears-of-blood/)

[SunShine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunshine/)

> [I have no intention of retiring. Even my blood sugar is better when I'm working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-stritch/i-have-no-intention-of-retiring-even-my-blood-sugar-is-better-when-i/)

[Elaine Stritch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-stritch/)

> [What about you three, where are you going?" Even before Halt answered, Will knew what he was going to say. But that didn't make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flanagan/what-about-you-three-where-are-you-going-even-before-halt-answered/)

[John Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flanagan/)

> [A day without blood is like a day without sunshine!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-lee-ermey/a-day-without-blood-is-like-a-day-without-sunshine/)

[R. Lee Ermey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-lee-ermey/)

> [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [“...I wore his blood for clothing, on my legs and thighs and hands: a dry, stiff, brown garment with no warmth in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/i-wore-his-blood-for-clothing-on-my-legs-and-thighs-and-hands-a-dry/)

[Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/)

> [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/)

[Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/)

> [I don't think you should ever say, 'This is the last time'. Music isn't like that. You'll be sitting there not wishing to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-daltrey/i-don-t-think-you-should-ever-say-this-is-the-last-time-music-isn-t/)

[Roger Daltrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-daltrey/)

> [In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-this-choice-of-inheritance-we-have-given-to-our-frame-of-polity/)

[Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/)

> [I think cricket is there in Usain Bolt's blood. Since I got to watch from close quarters, it was amazing to see him run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh/i-think-cricket-is-there-in-usain-bolt-s-blood-since-i-got-to-watch/)

[Harbhajan Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh/)

> [Holy shadows of the dead, I'm not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/holy-shadows-of-the-dead-i-m-not-to-blame-for-your-cruel-and-bitter/)

[Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/)

> [“The sun had burned through and the day had gone from dull to dazzling, yet in the west blask-satin thunderheads continued to stack up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-sun-had-burned-through-and-the-day-had-gone-from-dull-to-dazzling/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

Browse all 6,234 Blood quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "We can't understand when we're pregnant, or when our siblings are expecting, how profound it is to have a shared history with a younger generation: blood, genes, humor. It means we were actually here, on Earth, for a time - like the Egyptians with their pyramids, only with children.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Anne Lamott"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/we-can-t-understand-when-we-re-pregnant-or-when-our-siblings-are/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Blood"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/we-can-t-understand-when-we-re-pregnant-or-when-our-siblings-are/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bb/anne-lamott-188_blood_we-can-t-understand-when-we-re-pregnant_452181.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bb/anne-lamott-188_blood_we-can-t-understand-when-we-re-pregnant_452181.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bb/anne-lamott-188_blood_we-can-t-understand-when-we-re-pregnant_452181.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We can't understand when we're pregnant, or when our siblings are expecting, how profound it is to have a…” — Anne Lamott",
                "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": "Anne Lamott",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "We can't understand when we're pregnant,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/we-can-t-understand-when-we-re-pregnant-or-when-our-siblings-are/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/we-can-t-understand-when-we-re-pregnant-or-when-our-siblings-are/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
