--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My son smelled like a cinnamon bun, and…" description: "\"My son smelled like a cinnamon bun, and that smell entered into my biological being, and it became an imperative that I keep him alive at all costs, so..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5d/frances-mcdormand-3814_lion_my-son-smelled-like-a-cinnamon-bun-and-t_456399.jpg" --- # My son smelled like a cinnamon bun, and that smell entered… ![“My son smelled like a cinnamon bun, and that smell entered into my biological being, and it became an imperative that I keep him alive at all costs, so then there's this monster - this tiger or lion - that comes forward in you to protect them. And it doesn't stop. It doesn't matter if they become…” quote by Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5d/frances-mcdormand-3814_lion_my-son-smelled-like-a-cinnamon-bun-and-t_456399.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5d/frances-mcdormand-3814_lion_my-son-smelled-like-a-cinnamon-bun-and-t_456399.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5d/frances-mcdormand-3814_lion_my-son-smelled-like-a-cinnamon-bun-and-t_456399.jpg) > “My son smelled like a cinnamon bun, and that smell entered into my biological being, and it became an imperative that I keep him alive at all costs, so then there's this monster - this tiger or lion - that comes forward in you to protect them. And it doesn't stop. It doesn't matter if they become men or women.” [Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A parent’s love becomes a fierce, instinctive drive to protect children, persisting regardless of their age or gender. **In simple terms:** Parental love is a powerful protective instinct. Key Takeaway Cherish and act on protective instincts. Themes parenthood protective instinct unconditional love Mood tender determined protective Type advice emotional When to use this quote - raising children - caregiving crises - family emergencies - advocacy for children Key Concepts attachment theory maternal drive evolutionary biology Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance protection with fostering independence? - When does protective love become smothering? A Different Perspective Protective instincts can become overprotective, limiting autonomy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Lion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lion/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Smell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smell/) [Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son/) [Tiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tiger/) [Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women/) ## Related quotes > [“With a great effort the Don opened his eyes to see his son once more. He smelled the garden, the yellow shield of light…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/with-a-great-effort-the-don-opened-his-eyes-to-see-his-son-once-more-2/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [It always smelled like it was raining outside, even if it wasn't, and you were in the only nice, dry, cosy place in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-always-smelled-like-it-was-raining-outside-even-if-it-wasn-t-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Gee, thanks." I couldn't sound more sarcastic, but I was willing to give it a try. My breathing evened out. "What are you here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lili-st-crow/gee-thanks-i-couldn-t-sound-more-sarcastic-but-i-was-willing-to-give/) [Lili St. Crow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lili-st-crow/) > [“I closed my eyes and let out a breath that smelled like I’d eaten an entire wet dog and washed it down with sweat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/i-closed-my-eyes-and-let-out-a-breath-that-smelled-like-i-d-eaten-an/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [“...he smelled like somebody trying to smell like somebody else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-farrington/he-smelled-like-somebody-trying-to-smell-like-somebody-else/) [Tim Farrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-farrington/) > [“Abby took the box, and then tugged on my hand until we were in the entryway. It smelled like a combination of cleaner, candles,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-mcguire/abby-took-the-box-and-then-tugged-on-my-hand-until-we-were-in-the/) [Jamie McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-mcguire/) > [The wind smelled clean, like clean magazines. It smelled like invisible ink.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-schulman/the-wind-smelled-clean-like-clean-magazines-it-smelled-like-invisible/) [Sarah Schulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-schulman/) > [“He smelled like family... and Javier, but I took that as a good sign.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-lilley/he-smelled-like-family-and-javier-but-i-took-that-as-a-good-sign/) [R.K. Lilley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-lilley/) > [“Hatred had invaded her entire being; every cell in her body had hatred in it. She wondered if everyone could smell it on her.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-l-griffin/hatred-had-invaded-her-entire-being-every-cell-in-her-body-had-hatred/) [R.L. Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-l-griffin/) > [“Vic smelled the vast vault filled with books before she saw it, because her eyes required time to adjust to the cavernous dark. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/vic-smelled-the-vast-vault-filled-with-books-before-she-saw-it/) [Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) > [“His coat smelled like Irish Spring and a little bit like potpourri.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/his-coat-smelled-like-irish-spring-and-a-little-bit-like-potpourri/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [It smelled like aging wood and creosote, plastic book covers, and old paper. Old paper, which my mom used to say was the smell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/it-smelled-like-aging-wood-and-creosote-plastic-book-covers-and-old/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) > [“He smelled good. Sweat and motorcycle and wintergreen. No stinking weed smoke. No perfume. No sadness. He smelled like love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryn-greenwood/he-smelled-good-sweat-and-motorcycle-and-wintergreen-no-stinking-weed/) [Bryn Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryn-greenwood/) > [“She wondered if everyone could smell it on her. It smelled like death and coffee, like lilies and dirt, and it permeated her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-l-griffin/she-wondered-if-everyone-could-smell-it-on-her-it-smelled-like-death/) [R.L. Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-l-griffin/) > [When you chopped logs with the ax and they split open they smelled beautiful, like Christmas. But when you split someone's head open it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-atkinson/when-you-chopped-logs-with-the-ax-and-they-split-open-they-smelled/) [Kate Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-atkinson/) ## More by Frances McDormand > [There's only two givens with choosing acting as a profession: one is you will always be unemployed, always, and it doesn't matter how much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/there-s-only-two-givens-with-choosing-acting-as-a-profession-one-is/) [Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/) > [I don't think of myself as a movie star and I can pretty easily convince other people that I'm not a movie star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/i-don-t-think-of-myself-as-a-movie-star-and-i-can-pretty-easily/) [Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/) > [Guess what? I am an ordinary person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/guess-what-i-am-an-ordinary-person/) [Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/) > [There is simply too much of my life that is involved in my work that I couldn't replicate in any other way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/there-is-simply-too-much-of-my-life-that-is-involved-in-my-work-that/) [Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/) > [I think that cosmetic enhancements in my profession are just an occupational hazard. But I think, more culturally, I'm interested in starting the conversation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/i-think-that-cosmetic-enhancements-in-my-profession-are-just-an/) [Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/) > [I was completely naive about the business of being an actor. My family didn't go to the theater or to the movies. We watched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/i-was-completely-naive-about-the-business-of-being-an-actor-my-family/) [Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/) > [If, when I leave this earth, I'm remembered for 'Fargo,' so be it. But I think old Marge Gunderson is gonna get a run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/if-when-i-leave-this-earth-i-m-remembered-for-fargo-so-be-it-but-i/) [Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/) > [I never read books - and still don't read books - to develop them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/i-never-read-books-and-still-don-t-read-books-to-develop-them/) [Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/) > [I'm not really that interested in going back to playing small supporting roles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/i-m-not-really-that-interested-in-going-back-to-playing-small/) [Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/) > [I'm trained in the theater, and acting, for me, is about the imaginative life I create for myself, not about basing it on something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/i-m-trained-in-the-theater-and-acting-for-me-is-about-the-imaginative/) [Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/) > [No actor has complete freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/no-actor-has-complete-freedom/) [Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/) > [Long-format television is a better way to tell a female story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/long-format-television-is-a-better-way-to-tell-a-female-story/) [Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/) > [Female characters in literature are full. They're messy: they've got runny noses and burp and belch. Unfortunately, in film, female characters don't often have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/female-characters-in-literature-are-full-they-re-messy-they-ve-got/) [Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/) > [At least three times a week, I'm approached by someone who says something about 'Fargo.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/at-least-three-times-a-week-i-m-approached-by-someone-who-says/) [Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/) > [I would disagree that America is any more racist or ridiculous than anywhere else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/i-would-disagree-that-america-is-any-more-racist-or-ridiculous-than/) [Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/) [Explore all 121 Frances McDormand quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/) ## More Lion quotes > [She'd read once that if you ran into a bear in the woods you should avoid eye contact and you shouldn't run away, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-ursu/she-d-read-once-that-if-you-ran-into-a-bear-in-the-woods-you-should/) [Anne Ursu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-ursu/) > [“When a wolf is hungry it befriends sheep.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/when-a-wolf-is-hungry-it-befriends-sheep/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [“Flattery looks like friendship, just like a wolf looks like a dog.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/flattery-looks-like-friendship-just-like-a-wolf-looks-like-a-dog/) [Oscar Auliq-Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-auliq-ice/) > [“(Quoting her friend Tom Black on an amateur hunter's injury:) "Lion, rifles -- and stupidity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/quoting-her-friend-tom-black-on-an-amateur-hunter-s-injury-lion/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [My first name was inspired by the character of Aslan, the lion in C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aselin-debison/my-first-name-was-inspired-by-the-character-of-aslan-the-lion-in-c-s/) Aselin Debison > [I'm in 'Madagascar 2.' I'm Testy the Lion. The franchise moves to Africa, and Bernie Mac is also in the film. I loved working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lister-jr/i-m-in-madagascar-2-i-m-testy-the-lion-the-franchise-moves-to-africa/) [Tom Lister, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lister-jr/) > [Throw me to the wolfs and I will return leading the pack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/any/throw-me-to-the-wolfs-and-i-will-return-leading-the-pack/) Any > [“Just like a kitten pretending to be a lion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiki-hamilton/just-like-a-kitten-pretending-to-be-a-lion/) [Kiki Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiki-hamilton/) > [Don't ask who's influenced me. A lion is made up of the lambs he's digested, and I've been reading all my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/don-t-ask-who-s-influenced-me-a-lion-is-made-up-of-the-lambs-he-s/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [The peasants of the Asturias believe that in every litter of wolves there is one pup that is killed by the mother for fear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/the-peasants-of-the-asturias-believe-that-in-every-litter-of-wolves/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [When a captive lion steps out of his cage, he comes into a wider world than the lion who has known only the wilds.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukio-mishima/when-a-captive-lion-steps-out-of-his-cage-he-comes-into-a-wider-world/) [Yukio Mishima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukio-mishima/) > [“How much does an elephant weigh? ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-patton/how-much-does-an-elephant-weigh/) Rhonda Patton > [After The Wizard Of Oz I was typecast as a lion, and there aren't all that many parts for lions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bert-lahr/after-the-wizard-of-oz-i-was-typecast-as-a-lion-and-there-aren-t-all/) Bert Lahr > [Until the lion learns to speak, the tales of hunting will be weak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-naan/until-the-lion-learns-to-speak-the-tales-of-hunting-will-be-weak/) [K'naan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-naan/) > [“An injured lion wants to know if he can still roar. It's about dignity and self-esteem, which isn't quite the same as vanity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-zaslow/an-injured-lion-wants-to-know-if-he-can-still-roar-it-s-about-dignity/) [Jeffrey Zaslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-zaslow/) [Browse all 1,875 Lion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My son smelled like a cinnamon bun, and that smell entered into my biological being, and it became an imperative that I keep him alive at all costs, so then there's this monster - this tiger or lion - that comes forward in you to protect them. And it doesn't stop. 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