--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You know,” Cole said. “My mom once told…" description: "\"You know,” Cole said. “My mom once told me a boy would know he’d become a man when he stopped putting himself first. She said a girl would come along a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48d/gena-showalter-541_able_you-know-cole-said-my-mom-once-told-me-a_622847.jpg" --- # You know,” Cole said. “My mom once told me a boy would… ![“You know,” Cole said. “My mom once told me a boy would know he’d become a man when he stopped putting himself first. She said a girl would come along and I wouldn’t be able to get her out of my mind. She said this girl would frustrate me, confuse me, and challenge me, but she would also make me do…” quote by Gena Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48d/gena-showalter-541_able_you-know-cole-said-my-mom-once-told-me-a_622847.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48d/gena-showalter-541_able_you-know-cole-said-my-mom-once-told-me-a_622847.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48d/gena-showalter-541_able_you-know-cole-said-my-mom-once-told-me-a_622847.jpg) > “You know,” Cole said. “My mom once told me a boy would know he’d become a man when he stopped putting himself first. She said a girl would come along and I wouldn’t be able to get her out of my mind. She said this girl would frustrate me, confuse me, and challenge me, but she would also make me do whatever was necessary to be a better man–the man she needed. With you, I want to be better. I want to be what you need. Tell me what you need.” [Gena Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-showalter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A man learns that love can inspire personal growth, urging him to become the partner his loved one needs. **In simple terms:** Love pushes self‑improvement. Key Takeaway Become the person your partner needs. Themes love growth relationships masculinity self‑improvement Mood hopeful reflective Type advice romantic motivational When to use this quote - dating - long‑term partnership - personal development - relationship counseling Key Concepts emotional maturity identity responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance self‑care with supporting a partner? - What does “being a better man” mean to you? A Different Perspective Self‑focus can hinder relational health. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Better man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-man/) [Boys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boys/) [Challenges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/) [Girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/girl/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Mom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mom/) ## Related quotes > [“The governor is like the boy I saw once at the launching of a ship. When everything was ready, they picked out a boy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-t-phillips/the-governor-is-like-the-boy-i-saw-once-at-the-launching-of-a-ship/) [Donald T. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-t-phillips/) > [“I met a boy and he told me a story. There was a lady long ago who spent her life coughing up feathers. 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But not the war out of the man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-nickless/someone-once-told-me-you-can-take-the-boy-out-of-the-war-but-not-the/) [Barbara Nickless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-nickless/) > [“You never told me his name," the boy says. Time skips a beat, pauses, breathes out. She nuzzles her face against the beginning of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-g-drews/you-never-told-me-his-name-the-boy-says-time-skips-a-beat-pauses/) C.G. Drews > [“I can’t be this close to you and have these clothes between us,” Cole said in her ear, giving her a full-body shudder. “Can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/layla-valentine/i-can-t-be-this-close-to-you-and-have-these-clothes-between-us-cole/) Layla Valentine > [“I was in the neighborhood," he said, answering the question I was about to ask. His lips twitched. "You know, wandering around,trying to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brodi-ashton/i-was-in-the-neighborhood-he-said-answering-the-question-i-was-about/) [Brodi Ashton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brodi-ashton/) > [“She said no, Lark,” Cole said, his eyes meeting Kelsey’s. Kelsey felt her stomach flutter. And it wasn’t from nausea.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maisey-yates/she-said-no-lark-cole-said-his-eyes-meeting-kelsey-s-kelsey-felt-her/) [Maisey Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maisey-yates/) > [“You'll be great," Cole said, patting her shoulder. He took one last look at Sam's face. Whatever he saw there made him smile. "But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-shalvis/you-ll-be-great-cole-said-patting-her-shoulder-he-took-one-last-look/) [Jill Shalvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-shalvis/) > [“I sat up. Slowly. Between the belly dancing, the fire, the visit to Dave and it's aftermath, the night had taken its toll. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-rardin/i-sat-up-slowly-between-the-belly-dancing-the-fire-the-visit-to-dave/) [Jennifer Rardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-rardin/) ## More by Gena Showalter > [“Justin took off in a run. Frosty and Bronx, too. It wasn’t long before Frosty was carrying Kat, Bronx was carrying Reeve and Justin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-showalter/justin-took-off-in-a-run-frosty-and-bronx-too-it-wasn-t-long-before/) [Gena Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-showalter/) > [You are such a chick.” I widened my eyes in mock surprise. “No way. Are you sure?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-showalter/you-are-such-a-chick-i-widened-my-eyes-in-mock-surprise-no-way-are/) [Gena Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-showalter/) > [Girl, he wants to dip you in Frosted Flakes and have you for breakfast. That's his favorite cereal, by the way." 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She rose on her tiptoes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-showalter/she-stood-squared-her-shoulders-we-ll-do-it-together-and-then-she-did/) [Gena Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-showalter/) > [To you I belong.My heart beats only for you.No other will tempt me,from this day and beyond.To you I belong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-showalter/to-you-i-belong-my-heart-beats-only-for-you-no-other-will-tempt-me/) [Gena Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-showalter/) > [I’m not trying to—What do teenagers say nowadays?” he asked my grandmother.“Get all up in her biznez,” Nana said.Without cracking a smile.“That’s right,” he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-showalter/i-m-not-trying-to-what-do-teenagers-say-nowadays-he-asked-my/) [Gena Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-showalter/) > [“For a moment, Strider almost forgot how pissed he was with Amun and Haidee as he savored the fact that he'd just cock-blocked the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-showalter/for-a-moment-strider-almost-forgot-how-pissed-he-was-with-amun-and/) [Gena Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-showalter/) > [If all we've got to look forward to is disloyalty and treachery, why do we even make friends?" "Again, human nature. Hoping for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-showalter/if-all-we-ve-got-to-look-forward-to-is-disloyalty-and-treachery-why/) [Gena Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-showalter/) > [“He grunted, then he howled. I guess vinaigrette burns. Ha! I controlled the urge to grin. I leaped atop the dark, glossy table surface—and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-showalter/he-grunted-then-he-howled-i-guess-vinaigrette-burns-ha-i-controlled/) [Gena Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-showalter/) > [That means life itself is a fairy tale. Like the characters, we all live and love and search for a happily-ever-after.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-showalter/that-means-life-itself-is-a-fairy-tale-like-the-characters-we-all/) [Gena Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-showalter/) > [“That’s my cousin, dickwad,” Agent Jaxon Tremain said from Hector’s left. Had Whacky Jacky been next to Dallas, he would have drilled his knuckles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-showalter/that-s-my-cousin-dickwad-agent-jaxon-tremain-said-from-hector-s-left/) [Gena Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-showalter/) > [“You are treating that thing as if it is a great treasure," he said. Well, yeah. Because it was. "You have something against cookies?"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-showalter/you-are-treating-that-thing-as-if-it-is-a-great-treasure-he-said-well/) [Gena Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-showalter/) > [“Me: I think we should have sex again. Royce: Bad idea. Me: Why? Royce: I want more from you than sex. Me: Goodbye, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-showalter/me-i-think-we-should-have-sex-again-royce-bad-idea-me-why-royce-i/) [Gena Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-showalter/) [Explore all 476 Gena Showalter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-showalter/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. 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