Attending Quote by George Eliot
“It is a fact perhaps kept a little too much in the background, that mothers have a self larger than their maternity, and that when their sons have become taller than themselves, and are gone from them to college or into the world, there are wide spaces of their time which are not filled with praying for their boys, reading old letters, and envying yet blessing those who are attending to their shirt-buttons.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: Middlemarch by George Eliot, 1871
Mothers often feel a sense of identity beyond their role, especially as children grow independent and they confront empty time.
In simple terms: Mothers see themselves beyond motherhood when kids leave.
Key Takeaway
Acknowledge and fill your own space.
Themes
family
identity
growth
loneliness
Mood
reflective
nostalgic
Type
advice
philosophical
When to use this quote
- parenting
- career planning
- personal hobbies
- volunteering
Key Concepts
self-concept
role transition
generational dynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you define yourself beyond your role?
- What activities give you a sense of purpose now?
A Different Perspective
Mothers may feel loss of purpose without proactive fulfillment.
![“[W]e must learn to accommodate ourselves to the discovery that some of those cunningly-fashioned instruments called human souls have only a very limited range of music, and will not vibrate in the least under a touch that fills others with tremulous rapture or quivering agony.” quote by George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9be/george-eliot-84_agony_w-e-must-learn-to-accommodate-ourselves_12409.jpg)
