Skip to content

Children Quote by Dara Horn

“There is a moment that has happened over and over again, in every place children have ever slept, on every dark night for the past ten thousand years, that almost everyone who was once a child will forever remember. It happens when you are being tucked into bed, on a dark and frightened night when…” quote by Dara Horn
Download Open image
““There is a moment that has happened over and over again, in every place children have ever slept, on every dark night for the past ten thousand years, that almost everyone who was once a child will forever remember. It happens when you are being tucked into bed, on a dark and frightened night when the sounds of the nighttime outside are drowned out only by the far more frightening sounds in your head. You have already gone to bed, have tried to go to bed, but because of whatever sounds you hear in your head you have failed to go to bed, and someone much older than you, someone so old that you cannot even imagine yourself becoming that old, has come to sit beside you and make sure you fall asleep. But the moment that everyone who was once a child will remember is not the story the unfathomably old person tells you, or the lullaby he sings for you, but rather the moment right after the story or song has ended. You are lying there with your eyes closed, not sleeping just yet but noticing that the sounds inside your head seem to have vanished, and you know, through closed eyes, that the person beside you thinks that you are asleep and is simply watching you. In that fraction of an instant between when that person stops singing and when that person decides to rise from the bed and disappear -- a tiny rehearsal, though you do not know it yet, of what will eventually happen for good -- time holds still, and you can feel, through closed eyes, how that person, watching your still, small face in the darkness, has suddenly realized that you are the reason his life matters. And Sara would give her right leg and her left just to live through that moment one more time.””

Dara Horn

About This Quote

A timeless, comforting presence watches over us in moments of fear, offering silent support that eases our inner turmoil.

In simple terms: A caring figure helps calm our nighttime anxieties.

Key Takeaway

Seek and cherish supportive relationships.

Themes

comfort presence childhood

Mood

soothing introspective

Type

narrative philosophical

When to use this quote

  • late‑night insomnia
  • anxiety attacks
  • stressful evenings

Key Concepts

psychology attachment mindfulness

Questions to Reflect On

  • Who can you be that quiet guardian for someone else?
  • How does silent presence affect your peace?
A Different Perspective

Support may not always be visible or immediate.

2.5 out of 5 (7 ratings)

More by Dara Horn

Explore all 18 Dara Horn quotes

More Children quotes

Browse all 62,417 Children quotes