--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was a kid I thought that the…" description: "\"“When I was a kid I thought that the biggest moments in life would be trumpeted and highlighted and italicized somehow, that you would know when they w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/239/brian-doyle-20302_death_when-i-was-a-kid-i-thought-that-the-bigg_792661.jpg" --- # When I was a kid I thought that the biggest moments in… ![“When I was a kid I thought that the biggest moments in life would be trumpeted and highlighted and italicized somehow, that you would know when they were coming and could get your feet set to brace for them, and you would know they were upon you, and make a satisfactory effort to memorialize and…” quote by Brian Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/239/brian-doyle-20302_death_when-i-was-a-kid-i-thought-that-the-bigg_792661.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/239/brian-doyle-20302_death_when-i-was-a-kid-i-thought-that-the-bigg_792661.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/239/brian-doyle-20302_death_when-i-was-a-kid-i-thought-that-the-bigg_792661.jpg) > ““When I was a kid I thought that the biggest moments in life would be trumpeted and highlighted and italicized somehow, that you would know when they were coming and could get your feet set to brace for them, and you would know they were upon you, and make a satisfactory effort to memorialize and celebrate them, but it turns out that’s not at all how it works, and the biggest moments of your life just amble up behind you and suddenly are just there without fanfare. You fall into and out of love without much drama, you stammer like an idiot as you propose to your girlfriend, your brother just stops breathing quietly without any notice that death has come, your daughter just slides out of your wife suddenly like an otter emerging from a burrow. It turns out that the biggest moments are a lot like the smallest moments, just trundling and shuffling along one after another, each one utterly normal and absolutely the most amazing moment ever.”” [Brian Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-doyle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life’s most profound moments often arrive quietly, without drama, and are as ordinary as everyday experiences. **In simple terms:** Big moments are often subtle and ordinary. Key Takeaway Notice and cherish everyday moments. Themes mortality love unexpected events Mood reflective melancholic Type philosophical narrative When to use this quote - grief - marriage - parenthood - creative work Key Concepts existentialism mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - What small moments have shaped you? - How do you honor quiet milestones? A Different Perspective Not all significant events are dramatic; some may be missed without attention. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amazing moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amazing-moment/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Moments In Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments-in-life/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“I have found that the biggest moments in life, the ones that change everything, usually catch you by surprise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-baker-kline/i-have-found-that-the-biggest-moments-in-life-the-ones-that-change/) [Christina Baker Kline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-baker-kline/) > [“Sometimes, the smallest moments in your life have the greatest impact. They soar straight into a place deep inside you, and resonate with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-richardson/sometimes-the-smallest-moments-in-your-life-have-the-greatest-impact/) [Angela Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-richardson/) > [=.Best Moments In Life.= -2 laugh until it hurts Ur stomach -2 clear Ur last exam -2 recve a call 4m some1, U dnt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark/best-moments-in-life-2-laugh-until-it-hurts-ur-stomach-2-clear-ur/) [Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark/) > [There are some moments in life that are like pivots around which your existence turns—small intuitive flashes, when you know you have done something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robyn-davidson/there-are-some-moments-in-life-that-are-like-pivots-around-which-your/) [Robyn Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robyn-davidson/) > [The greatest moments in life are the ones right in front of you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-knisely/the-greatest-moments-in-life-are-the-ones-right-in-front-of-you/) [Matthew Knisely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-knisely/) > [“Looking back, it is also the smallest moments that seem to radiate the most pain. The moments when you realize you loved these people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-lau/looking-back-it-is-also-the-smallest-moments-that-seem-to-radiate-the/) Evelyn Lau > [“Hold on to and cherish even the smallest of moments... you may not know it yet, but years from now when you look back...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nyki-mack/hold-on-to-and-cherish-even-the-smallest-of-moments-you-may-not-know/) [Nyki Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nyki-mack/) > [“Courage doesn't always arrive on time. Sometimes it shows up in the smallest moments.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denika-fercho/courage-doesn-t-always-arrive-on-time-sometimes-it-shows-up-in-the/) Denika Fercho > [I think turning 30 - and same with turning 21, 25, or turning 18 - those are moments in life where something new is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-simmons/i-think-turning-30-and-same-with-turning-21-25-or-turning-18-those/) [Johnny Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-simmons/) > [“It is in the truest, weakest moments in life that our destiny is shaped.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-caster/it-is-in-the-truest-weakest-moments-in-life-that-our-destiny-is-shaped/) [Mark Caster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-caster/) > [For some moments in life there are no words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-seltzer/for-some-moments-in-life-there-are-no-words/) [David Seltzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-seltzer/) > [Some of the greatest moments in life come from moments that are incomplete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-reed/some-of-the-greatest-moments-in-life-come-from-moments-that-are/) [Nikki Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-reed/) > [“There are moments in life, when just the right words, can be as powerful as acts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-n-harris/there-are-moments-in-life-when-just-the-right-words-can-be-as/) [José N. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-n-harris/) > [There are moments in life, When People give more Weight to the present that is going , though Tough , Tense and Hard to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-moments-in-life-when-people-give-more-weight-to-the-present/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The best moments in life are not the kind many historians record.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lee-burke/the-best-moments-in-life-are-not-the-kind-many-historians-record/) [James Lee Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lee-burke/) ## More by Brian Doyle > [“I am no heroic figure, but a man like any other, capable of selfish and selfless at once, of light and dark, courage and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-doyle/i-am-no-heroic-figure-but-a-man-like-any-other-capable-of-selfish-and/) [Brian Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-doyle/) > [“I began to wonder if he was not very consciously and deliberately choosing particular chapters of his life to tell, in order to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-doyle/i-began-to-wonder-if-he-was-not-very-consciously-and-deliberately/) [Brian Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-doyle/) > [“Schaumburg was a town north and west of Chicago, and Mr Mahoney liked to say that he had been there once, to carry away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-doyle/schaumburg-was-a-town-north-and-west-of-chicago-and-mr-mahoney-liked/) [Brian Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-doyle/) > [“He is only one of a million no, a billion stories you could tell about the living beings on just this side of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-doyle/he-is-only-one-of-a-million-no-a-billion-stories-you-could-tell-about/) [Brian Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-doyle/) > [“All stories are, in some form, prayers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-doyle/all-stories-are-in-some-form-prayers/) [Brian Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-doyle/) > [“One thing I remember with amazement about Chicago is that everyone knew everything before it was splayed lurid and naked in public; you never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-doyle/one-thing-i-remember-with-amazement-about-chicago-is-that-everyone/) [Brian Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-doyle/) > [“You cannot edit your life, and even if I was today offered the chance to never meet her, and so not leave the city…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-doyle/you-cannot-edit-your-life-and-even-if-i-was-today-offered-the-chance/) [Brian Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-doyle/) > [“So much held in a heart in a lifetime. So much held in a heart in a day, an hour, a moment. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-doyle/so-much-held-in-a-heart-in-a-lifetime-so-much-held-in-a-heart-in-a/) [Brian Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-doyle/) > [“...you could see the man being formed, and kew the man to be your good and true friend, as long as life - the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-doyle/you-could-see-the-man-being-formed-and-kew-the-man-to-be-your-good/) [Brian Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-doyle/) > [“Everyone thinks that the old days were better, or that they were harder, and the modern times are chaotic and complex, or easier all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-doyle/everyone-thinks-that-the-old-days-were-better-or-that-they-were/) [Brian Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-doyle/) > [“Our hearts are not pure: our hearts are filled with need and greed as much as with love and grace, and we wrestle with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-doyle/our-hearts-are-not-pure-our-hearts-are-filled-with-need-and-greed-as/) [Brian Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-doyle/) > [“...your twenties are the years when a man wends and wanders, searching for who knows what - we say money or love or adventure,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-doyle/your-twenties-are-the-years-when-a-man-wends-and-wanders-searching/) [Brian Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-doyle/) > [“The coolest most amazing people I have met in my life, I said, are the ones who are not very interested in power or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-doyle/the-coolest-most-amazing-people-i-have-met-in-my-life-i-said-are-the/) [Brian Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-doyle/) > [“For some years a fishing boat bringing in regular catches, occasional permits filed for charter fishing, one permit filed for whale-watching cruise, a number…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-doyle/for-some-years-a-fishing-boat-bringing-in-regular-catches-occasional/) [Brian Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-doyle/) > [“They were loath to leave, for they felt, understandably enough, and rightly, I think, that as soon as they left their place, they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-doyle/they-were-loath-to-leave-for-they-felt-understandably-enough-and/) [Brian Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-doyle/) [Explore all 31 Brian Doyle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-doyle/) ## More Amazing moment quotes > [That amazing moment when a teacher cancels a test.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-amazing-moment-when-a-teacher-cancels-a-test/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [That amazing moment when he texts you after hanging up and saying he loves hearing your voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-amazing-moment-when-he-texts-you-after-hanging-up-and-saying-he/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The amazing moment when you type your homework on google and found exactly what you need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-amazing-moment-when-you-type-your-homework-on-google-and-found/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You arrive at Formula One being very skeptical, how far can your talent deal with all this, and then you understand those guys are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-schumacher/you-arrive-at-formula-one-being-very-skeptical-how-far-can-your/) [Michael Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-schumacher/) > [That's an amazing moment, the first time you hear yourself on radio. It's still thrilling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janis-ian/that-s-an-amazing-moment-the-first-time-you-hear-yourself-on-radio-it/) [Janis Ian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janis-ian/) > [It's amazing. The moment you show cash, everyone knows your language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aravind-adiga/it-s-amazing-the-moment-you-show-cash-everyone-knows-your-language/) [Aravind Adiga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aravind-adiga/) > [I think it is such an amazing moment when people realize what they are and what they can be, and they start putting themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-peyton/i-think-it-is-such-an-amazing-moment-when-people-realize-what-they/) [Elizabeth Peyton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-peyton/) > [It was such an amazing feeling to be on that movie set. And for the first scene I ever did in any movie, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jeong/it-was-such-an-amazing-feeling-to-be-on-that-movie-set-and-for-the/) [Ken Jeong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jeong/) > [That amazing moment when a question on a test gives the answer on another question on the test.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-amazing-moment-when-a-question-on-a-test-gives-the-answer-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When I came out for the 25th anniversary of Raw, I got a great reaction, and it made me feel very good, but as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bischoff/when-i-came-out-for-the-25th-anniversary-of-raw-i-got-a-great/) [Eric Bischoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bischoff/) > [The most amazing moment of life is when you realise you are in love with someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/the-most-amazing-moment-of-life-is-when-you-realise-you-are-in-love/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [It's amazing, when the moment arrives that you know you'll be alright.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/it-s-amazing-when-the-moment-arrives-that-you-know-you-ll-be-alright/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) > [It just feels amazing to have that moment when you realize things are coming together for your team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-graham/it-just-feels-amazing-to-have-that-moment-when-you-realize-things-are/) [Jimmy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-graham/) > [I thought I was dreaming. It was the most amazing moment of my entire life. Not only is Bill the love of my life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giuliana-rancic/i-thought-i-was-dreaming-it-was-the-most-amazing-moment-of-my-entire/) [Giuliana Rancic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giuliana-rancic/) > [“You're maybe eighteen. Your mother didn't love you enough so you decided to pierce your lip and brand your body to piss her off.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-hood/you-re-maybe-eighteen-your-mother-didn-t-love-you-enough-so-you/) [Holly Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-hood/) [Browse all 25 Amazing moment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amazing-moment/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When I was a kid I thought that the biggest moments in life would be trumpeted and highlighted and italicized somehow, that you would know when they were coming and could get your feet set to brace for them, and you would know they were upon you, and make a satisfactory effort to memorialize and celebrate them, but it turns out that’s not at all how it works, and the biggest moments of your life just amble up behind you and suddenly are just there without fanfare. You fall into and out of love without much drama, you stammer like an idiot as you propose to your girlfriend, your brother just stops breathing quietly without any notice that death has come, your daughter just slides out of your wife suddenly like an otter emerging from a burrow. 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