--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Come over here and light me a cigarette,\"…" description: "\"“Come over here and light me a cigarette,\" she'd said. I'd snuck a little inhale, and my mother had smiled. But then she'd said, \"Don't get started wit..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/274/elizabeth-berg-853_inhale_come-over-here-and-light-me-a-cigarette_2843068.jpg" --- # Come over here and light me a cigarette," she'd said. I'd… ![“Come over here and light me a cigarette," she'd said. I'd snuck a little inhale, and my mother had smiled. But then she'd said, "Don't get started with something you won't be able to do without.” quote by Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/274/elizabeth-berg-853_inhale_come-over-here-and-light-me-a-cigarette_2843068.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/274/elizabeth-berg-853_inhale_come-over-here-and-light-me-a-cigarette_2843068.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/274/elizabeth-berg-853_inhale_come-over-here-and-light-me-a-cigarette_2843068.jpg) > ““Come over here and light me a cigarette," she'd said. I'd snuck a little inhale, and my mother had smiled. But then she'd said, "Don't get started with something you won't be able to do without.”” [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A mother warns against dependence, urging self‑reliance before habit forms. **In simple terms:** Don't start habits you can't quit. Key Takeaway Avoid addictive shortcuts early. Themes self‑control warning habit formation Mood cautious thoughtful Type advice narrative When to use this quote - parental advice - young adult choices - health decisions Key Concepts addiction personal responsibility Questions to Reflect On - What habits have you let slip? - How do you balance caution with freedom? A Different Perspective The warning may seem overly restrictive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cigarette Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cigarette-said-1801558/) [Inhale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inhale/) [Inhale Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inhale-mother-3738470/) [Light Cigarette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light-cigarette-446763/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Mother Smiled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother-smiled-580353/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) ## Related quotes > [“But my dear young lady," he said offering a cigarette, "who ever said I have a poor opinion of women? On the contrary, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-o-connor/but-my-dear-young-lady-he-said-offering-a-cigarette-who-ever-said-i/) [Frank O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-o-connor/) > [“Olivia lit a cigarette and said, "God, if I worried about running into old boyfriends, I couldn't go anywhere!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/olivia-lit-a-cigarette-and-said-god-if-i-worried-about-running-into/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“Really, Mr. Hollander.” Her mother smiled, though clearly embarrassed. “We are perfectly able to keep a cook for Ivy Cottage. As well as our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-klassen/really-mr-hollander-her-mother-smiled-though-clearly-embarrassed-we/) [Julie Klassen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-klassen/) > [“The mother smiled at his earnestness - smiled without the least misgiving; for, to her apprehension, the youth was still a boy, to wonder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-d-e-n-southworth/the-mother-smiled-at-his-earnestness-smiled-without-the-least/) [E.D.E.N. Southworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-d-e-n-southworth/) > [“one day the goldfish died, all five of them, they floated on the water, on their sides, their eyes still open, and when my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/one-day-the-goldfish-died-all-five-of-them-they-floated-on-the-water/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“My mother smiled. "I know my baby wasn't like that." I looked at her. "Like what?" "Like those awful people. Those awful dead people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/my-mother-smiled-i-know-my-baby-wasn-t-like-that-i-looked-at-her-like/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [Baby smiled, mother wailed, Earthward while the sweetling sailed; Mother smiled, baby wailed, When to earth came Viola.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-thompson/baby-smiled-mother-wailed-earthward-while-the-sweetling-sailed-mother/) [Francis Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-thompson/) > [The only day in your life… Your mother smiled when you cried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdul-kalam/the-only-day-in-your-life-your-mother-smiled-when-you-cried/) [Abdul Kalam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdul-kalam/) > [“He's a good man.He's staightforward and he knows exactly what he wants-" "Yes. You must favor your mother." She smiled reluctantly at the gentle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/he-s-a-good-man-he-s-staightforward-and-he-knows-exactly-what-he/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [Birthday : The only day in your life,your mother smiled when you cried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/birthday-the-only-day-in-your-life-your-mother-smiled-when-you-cried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Her other mother smiled brightly and the hair on her head drifted like plants under the sea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/her-other-mother-smiled-brightly-and-the-hair-on-her-head-drifted/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Why do you lie to me, darling? You know that I’ll stick with you to the end.” I picked up a cigarette. He hurried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-caspary/why-do-you-lie-to-me-darling-you-know-that-i-ll-stick-with-you-to-the/) [Vera Caspary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-caspary/) > [It should not be an act of social disobedience to light a cigarette. Unless you're actually a doctor working at an incubator.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-moran/it-should-not-be-an-act-of-social-disobedience-to-light-a-cigarette/) [Dylan Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-moran/) > [“He says when you're smoking a cigarette with someone, and you have a lighter, you should light their cigarette first. But if you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/he-says-when-you-re-smoking-a-cigarette-with-someone-and-you-have-a/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [“I believe anyone could light a cigarette from the sparks that fly from your eyes!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enid-blyton/i-believe-anyone-could-light-a-cigarette-from-the-sparks-that-fly/) [Enid Blyton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enid-blyton/) ## More by Elizabeth Berg > [Never be afraid of doing the thing you know in your heart is right, even if others don't agree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/never-be-afraid-of-doing-the-thing-you-know-in-your-heart-is-right/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [“I think the reason we're cruel sometimes is that we're afraid we're going to like something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/i-think-the-reason-we-re-cruel-sometimes-is-that-we-re-afraid-we-re/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [If there were a category in the Olympics for laundry, my mother would have been a gold-medal winner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/if-there-were-a-category-in-the-olympics-for-laundry-my-mother-would/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [“If you say something over and over again, it begins to lose it's meaning... Say anything enough times and it becomes gibberish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/if-you-say-something-over-and-over-again-it-begins-to-lose-it-s/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [“You know, sometimes marriage is iron. Sometimes it’s tissue paper. And I think the times it’s tissue paper are when you need to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/you-know-sometimes-marriage-is-iron-sometimes-it-s-tissue-paper-and-i/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [“It's not that he doesn't smile; it's that if his smile were something you drew, you'd erase it, thinking, Wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/it-s-not-that-he-doesn-t-smile-it-s-that-if-his-smile-were-something/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [People say you should give until it hurts. I say you should give until it stops hurting. Know what I mean?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/people-say-you-should-give-until-it-hurts-i-say-you-should-give-until/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [“I should have said “powder room.” That would evoke the image of me sitting before a beautiful gold mirror, a vase of fresh flowers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/i-should-have-said-powder-room-that-would-evoke-the-image-of-me/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [Sometimes the best reading comes just by accident. Someone talks about a book, or you're just wandering the stacks in the library, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/sometimes-the-best-reading-comes-just-by-accident-someone-talks-about/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [“I don’t think Martha’s so bad. I think I want her for a friend instead of you. When I look at her magazine, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/i-don-t-think-martha-s-so-bad-i-think-i-want-her-for-a-friend-instead/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [\*We give so little when it's in us always to give so much more. It's bothering to listen with an open heart to someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/we-give-so-little-when-it-s-in-us-always-to-give-so-much-more-it-s/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [We're not just writers; we're readers probably more than anything else. That's how you learn how to write and how you learn to appreciate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/we-re-not-just-writers-we-re-readers-probably-more-than-anything-else/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [I thought of the priest who'd told me that many religions hold that it is easier to be closely connected to people we love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/i-thought-of-the-priest-who-d-told-me-that-many-religions-hold-that/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [“How is it that we dare to honk at others in traffic, when we know nothing about where they have just come from or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/how-is-it-that-we-dare-to-honk-at-others-in-traffic-when-we-know/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [The truth is, we usually only show our unhappiness to another woman. I suppose this is one of our problems. And yet it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/the-truth-is-we-usually-only-show-our-unhappiness-to-another-woman-i/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) [Explore all 350 Elizabeth Berg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) ## More Inhale quotes > [“We could talk..." I take a long inhale off my cigarette and gradually let it out, smoke circling my face. "If you want to."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-sorensen/we-could-talk-i-take-a-long-inhale-off-my-cigarette-and-gradually-let/) [Jessica Sorensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-sorensen/) > [A lot of what I am looking for is a moment of astonishment, he says. Those moments of pure consciousness when you involuntarily inhale…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-meyerowitz/a-lot-of-what-i-am-looking-for-is-a-moment-of-astonishment-he-says/) [Joel Meyerowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-meyerowitz/) > [On the first one, X-Men: First Class, it would be James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult and I. I'd basically inhale, there would be a red…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-till/on-the-first-one-x-men-first-class-it-would-be-james-mcavoy-nicholas/) [Lucas Till](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-till/) > [“Take time to smell the roses and eventually you’ll inhale a bee. Anon.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-goulson/take-time-to-smell-the-roses-and-eventually-you-ll-inhale-a-bee-anon/) [Dave Goulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-goulson/) > [“Inhale the present, exhale the past and the future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leticia-rae/inhale-the-present-exhale-the-past-and-the-future/) [Leticia Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leticia-rae/) > [Each full, deep inhale creates more space in your body and mind. Each long, exhale moves you directly into that space. The deeper you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-stiles/each-full-deep-inhale-creates-more-space-in-your-body-and-mind-each/) [Tara Stiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-stiles/) > [I don't inhale because it gives you cancer, but I look so incredibly handsome with a cigarette that I can't not hold one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/i-don-t-inhale-because-it-gives-you-cancer-but-i-look-so-incredibly/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [Inhale, exhale, cocaine, X pills. Import, export, Harlem catching wrecks still.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asap-rocky/inhale-exhale-cocaine-x-pills-import-export-harlem-catching-wrecks/) [Asap Rocky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asap-rocky/) > [Each time we exhale, the world ends; when we inhale, there can be, if we allow it, rebirth and spiritual renewal. It all transpires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/each-time-we-exhale-the-world-ends-when-we-inhale-there-can-be-if-we/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [“I don't know about you, but sometimes I need to remind myself to breathe. I have to close my eyes and concentrate, even force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stabile/i-don-t-know-about-you-but-sometimes-i-need-to-remind-myself-to/) [Scott Stabile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stabile/) > [ \[About his marijuana use\] I did. It's not something that I'm proud of. It was a mistake as a young man, but you know?… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/about-his-marijuana-use-i-did-it-s-not-something-that-i-m-proud-of-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Receiving and giving are opposite energies that are inextricably linked together in the natural flow of life, like inhaling and exhaling. If one aspect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakti-gawain/receiving-and-giving-are-opposite-energies-that-are-inextricably/) [Shakti Gawain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakti-gawain/) > [The light of love flows out of my soul, but it can go nowhere because it's blocked by pain. I could inhale and exhale…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-light-of-love-flows-out-of-my-soul-but-it-can-go-nowhere-because/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Inhale the good $hit , exhale the bad $hit ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/inhale-the-good-hit-exhale-the-bad-hit/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You don’t live because of me. You live because you let me love you. You made the choice to breathe all on your own…I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-dejong/you-don-t-live-because-of-me-you-live-because-you-let-me-love-you-you/) [Lisa DeJong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-dejong/) [Browse all 162 Inhale quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inhale/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Come over here and light me a cigarette,\" she'd said. I'd snuck a little inhale, and my mother had smiled. 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