--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was hard telling those kids...that I…" description: "\"It was hard telling those kids...that I wasn't going to be there this year. And I knew I was going to miss them. I won't have an opportunity to see the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/235/christa-mcauliffe-18286_believe_it-was-hard-telling-those-kids-that-i-wa_672730.jpg" --- # It was hard telling those kids...that I wasn't going to be… ![“It was hard telling those kids...that I wasn't going to be there this year. And I knew I was going to miss them. I won't have an opportunity to see them again, unless they stop by the house. Now during the summer, I got lots of notes; kids would stop by the house. I'd be pulling weeds or something…” quote by Christa McAuliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/235/christa-mcauliffe-18286_believe_it-was-hard-telling-those-kids-that-i-wa_672730.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/235/christa-mcauliffe-18286_believe_it-was-hard-telling-those-kids-that-i-wa_672730.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/235/christa-mcauliffe-18286_believe_it-was-hard-telling-those-kids-that-i-wa_672730.jpg) > “It was hard telling those kids...that I wasn't going to be there this year. And I knew I was going to miss them. I won't have an opportunity to see them again, unless they stop by the house. Now during the summer, I got lots of notes; kids would stop by the house. I'd be pulling weeds or something and they would come up and give me a hug and say, 'Oh, I can't believe it, this is so wonderful!' and just get very excited about it. It was hard not being in school. I would have loved to have gone back to school.” [Christa McAuliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-mcauliffe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator feels sadness about missing school and children, yet finds joy in unexpected visits and hugs during summer. **In simple terms:** Missing school is painful, but small moments bring happiness. Key Takeaway Cherish spontaneous connections despite setbacks. Themes loss joy connection Mood hopeful nostalgic Type reflective inspirational When to use this quote - summer break - unexpected reunions - volunteering Key Concepts nostalgia gratitude community support Questions to Reflect On - What small moments bring you comfort? - How can you create joy in absence? A Different Perspective The longing for school may overlook other fulfilling experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Hug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hug/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Pulling weeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pulling-weeds/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Summer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/summer/) [Wonderful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderful/) ## Related quotes > [When I was a kid, three years old, I couldn't walk by the piano without reaching up and trying to play a few notes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tilson-thomas/when-i-was-a-kid-three-years-old-i-couldn-t-walk-by-the-piano-without/) [Michael Tilson Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tilson-thomas/) > [I knew from very early on that I wanted kids. I wasn't one of those women who goes, 'Well, if it happens, it happens.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-knew-from-very-early-on-that-i-wanted-kids-i-wasn-t-one-of-those/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [“Frankie always felt awkward around kids. Always. It wasn’t that she didn’t like them; she just never knew what to do with them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-adair/frankie-always-felt-awkward-around-kids-always-it-wasn-t-that-she/) [Marina Adair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-adair/) > [There were times I should have been completely emotionally available to my kids and I wasn't there, even for reading a book with them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/there-were-times-i-should-have-been-completely-emotionally-available/) [Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/) > [At first, I didn't hang out with celebrity kids. That wasn't the way I was brought up. I went to a run-of-the-mill Catholic primary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-collins/at-first-i-didn-t-hang-out-with-celebrity-kids-that-wasn-t-the-way-i/) [Lily Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-collins/) > [I enjoy fame except when I'm with my daughter. Kids stop me all the time and I don't want her to be jealous of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-carrey/i-enjoy-fame-except-when-i-m-with-my-daughter-kids-stop-me-all-the/) [Jim Carrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-carrey/) > [You look at these kids...thousands and thousands of kids...and you stop and think, how can you not care?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-r-welling/you-look-at-these-kids-thousands-and-thousands-of-kids-and-you-stop/) Curtis R. Welling > [There is no time so short as the time between when your kids stop wrecking your furniture and your grandchildren start.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-margaret-mcbride/there-is-no-time-so-short-as-the-time-between-when-your-kids-stop/) Mary Margaret McBride > [And the cool kids always had a stop sign in their bedroom. Which means: "I don't care if people die. I want my stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-smith/and-the-cool-kids-always-had-a-stop-sign-in-their-bedroom-which-means/) [Josh Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-smith/) > [Maybe we'll stop training our kids to stop looking at someone and automatically seeing them as Black or White or of this religion or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immortal-technique/maybe-we-ll-stop-training-our-kids-to-stop-looking-at-someone-and/) [Immortal Technique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immortal-technique/) > [It's very rare that stand-up comics have kids, because once they do, they stop doing stand-up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-wong/it-s-very-rare-that-stand-up-comics-have-kids-because-once-they-do/) [Ali Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-wong/) > [“Wel you know 1ce the kids start singing at you thats a cern kynd of track youre on nor there aint too much you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-hoban/wel-you-know-1ce-the-kids-start-singing-at-you-thats-a-cern-kynd-of/) [Russell Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-hoban/) > [ ... it's simply wrong to always order \[kids\] to stop that fighting. There are times when one child is simply defending his rights and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erma-bombeck/it-s-simply-wrong-to-always-order-kids-to-stop-that-fighting-there/) [Erma Bombeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erma-bombeck/) > [Despite what people think, I was such a rule follower at school. I loved the whole slacker look, like, 'Hey, I don't care, whatever,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-stewart/despite-what-people-think-i-was-such-a-rule-follower-at-school-i/) [Kristen Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-stewart/) > [“But I know I didn't love school for school's sake. I had never really been what people call an 'academic' person, nor did I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/but-i-know-i-didn-t-love-school-for-school-s-sake-i-had-never-really/) [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) ## More by Christa McAuliffe > [Reach for it. Push yourself as far as you can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-mcauliffe/reach-for-it-push-yourself-as-far-as-you-can/) [Christa McAuliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-mcauliffe/) > [I will have a one-hour program called the Mission Watch, where I will describe details of the mission and give additional information about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-mcauliffe/i-will-have-a-one-hour-program-called-the-mission-watch-where-i-will/) [Christa McAuliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-mcauliffe/) > [You have to dream. We all have to dream. Dreaming is OK. Imagine me teaching from space, all over the world, touching so many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-mcauliffe/you-have-to-dream-we-all-have-to-dream-dreaming-is-ok-imagine-me/) [Christa McAuliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-mcauliffe/) > [I told them how excited I would be to go into space and how thrilled I was when Alan Shepard made his historic flight,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-mcauliffe/i-told-them-how-excited-i-would-be-to-go-into-space-and-how-thrilled/) [Christa McAuliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-mcauliffe/) > [The president felt that it was important to send an ordinary citizen to experience the excitement of space travel as a representative for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-mcauliffe/the-president-felt-that-it-was-important-to-send-an-ordinary-citizen/) [Christa McAuliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-mcauliffe/) > [We sat around one night and thought that people are going to look back and say, I can't imagine there was a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-mcauliffe/we-sat-around-one-night-and-thought-that-people-are-going-to-look/) [Christa McAuliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-mcauliffe/) > [Just as the pioneer travelers of the Conestoga wagon days kept personal journals, I, as a pioneer space traveler, would do the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-mcauliffe/just-as-the-pioneer-travelers-of-the-conestoga-wagon-days-kept/) [Christa McAuliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-mcauliffe/) > [May your future be limited only by your dreams!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-mcauliffe/may-your-future-be-limited-only-by-your-dreams/) [Christa McAuliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-mcauliffe/) > [I cannot join the space program and restart my life as an astronaut, but this opportunity to connect my abilities as an educator with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-mcauliffe/i-cannot-join-the-space-program-and-restart-my-life-as-an-astronaut/) [Christa McAuliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-mcauliffe/) > [We haven't sat down with Scott and Caroline and said, Now you realize that there's X amount of pounds of thrust. And this can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-mcauliffe/we-haven-t-sat-down-with-scott-and-caroline-and-said-now-you-realize/) [Christa McAuliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-mcauliffe/) > [Space is for everybody. It's not just for a few people in science or math, or for a select group of astronauts. That's our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-mcauliffe/space-is-for-everybody-it-s-not-just-for-a-few-people-in-science-or/) [Christa McAuliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-mcauliffe/) > [It's not the Olympics. It's Concord, New Hampshire, and a homecoming should reflect the community I'm part of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-mcauliffe/it-s-not-the-olympics-it-s-concord-new-hampshire-and-a-homecoming/) [Christa McAuliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-mcauliffe/) > [If anything happened, I think my husband would have to deal with that as the time came.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-mcauliffe/if-anything-happened-i-think-my-husband-would-have-to-deal-with-that/) [Christa McAuliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-mcauliffe/) > [Every shuttle mission's been successful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-mcauliffe/every-shuttle-mission-s-been-successful/) [Christa McAuliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-mcauliffe/) > [If I can get some student interested in science, if I can show members of the general public what's going on up there in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-mcauliffe/if-i-can-get-some-student-interested-in-science-if-i-can-show-members/) [Christa McAuliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-mcauliffe/) [Explore all 35 Christa McAuliffe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-mcauliffe/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It was hard telling those kids...that I wasn't going to be there this year. And I knew I was going to miss them. I won't have an opportunity to see them again, unless they stop by the house. Now during the summer, I got lots of notes; kids would stop by the house. I'd be pulling weeds or something and they would come up and give me a hug and say, 'Oh, I can't believe it, this is so wonderful!' and just get very excited about it. It was hard not being in school. 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