--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Once, when Tom was over here, to tease…" description: "\"Once, when Tom was over here, to tease Rose, I asked him, \"Before she was born, can you remember? Were things just the same as they are these days? Did..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c81/hilary-mckay-16133_born_once-when-tom-was-over-here-to-tease-ros_1820475.jpg" --- # Once, when Tom was over here, to tease Rose, I asked him… ![“Once, when Tom was over here, to tease Rose, I asked him, "Before she was born, can you remember? Were things just the same as they are these days? Did it still rain and get dark and all the stuff it does now? Did the sun go up and down in exactly the same way?" Yes," Tom said, and then he smiled…” quote by Hilary McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c81/hilary-mckay-16133_born_once-when-tom-was-over-here-to-tease-ros_1820475.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c81/hilary-mckay-16133_born_once-when-tom-was-over-here-to-tease-ros_1820475.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c81/hilary-mckay-16133_born_once-when-tom-was-over-here-to-tease-ros_1820475.jpg) > “Once, when Tom was over here, to tease Rose, I asked him, "Before she was born, can you remember? Were things just the same as they are these days? Did it still rain and get dark and all the stuff it does now? Did the sun go up and down in exactly the same way?" Yes," Tom said, and then he smiled at Rose and said, "No. Not really. Not exactly the same way.” [Hilary McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mckay/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A child asks a friend about the constancy of nature, revealing how memory and perception shape our sense of time. **In simple terms:** Child asks about nature’s sameness over time. Key Takeaway Remember that change is subtle. Themes memory perception time friendship Mood thoughtful curious Type narrative reflective philosophical When to use this quote - family conversation - teaching moments - reflective storytelling Key Concepts nostalgia philosophy childhood Questions to Reflect On - How do we know what truly stays the same? - What does “same” mean to a child? A Different Perspective The dialogue simplifies complex ideas, possibly losing nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Rain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rain/) [Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rose/) [Sun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sun/) ## Related quotes > [Rose!" I looked to my right and saw Adrian cutting across the lawn toward me, oblivious to the slush's effects on his designer shoes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/rose-i-looked-to-my-right-and-saw-adrian-cutting-across-the-lawn/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“The fact that you’re unsure probably means you need food that much more,” he said, which sounded like the weirdest logic I’d ever heard.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/the-fact-that-you-re-unsure-probably-means-you-need-food-that-much/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [Can you imagine anything more tragic?' Rose asked. 'To be born a princess --native and to the manor born-- and then to forget who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-doman/can-you-imagine-anything-more-tragic-rose-asked-to-be-born-a-princess/) [Regina Doman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-doman/) > [“What're you reading?" "Gertrude Stein." I shook my head. I'd never heard of her. "The poet?" he asked. "You know, 'A rose is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-diffenbaugh/what-re-you-reading-gertrude-stein-i-shook-my-head-i-d-never-heard-of/) [Vanessa Diffenbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-diffenbaugh/) > [“Dr. Tom had said that Texas was the only place he had ever found that, when it killed you, it didn't forget about you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-kent/dr-tom-had-said-that-texas-was-the-only-place-he-had-ever-found-that/) [Kathleen Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-kent/) > [“Oyster Tom said that they were not talking about people but about men. He agreed that most men remain accountable to themselves only, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-weller/oyster-tom-said-that-they-were-not-talking-about-people-but-about-men/) [Lance Weller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-weller/) > [“Guns and badges don’t scare everyone,” Black Tom said.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-lavalle/guns-and-badges-don-t-scare-everyone-black-tom-said/) [Victor LaValle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-lavalle/) > [“For perhaps the first time in recorded history, Coalhouse and I agree on something," Tom said.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lia-habel/for-perhaps-the-first-time-in-recorded-history-coalhouse-and-i-agree/) [Lia Habel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lia-habel/) > [“Tom said people should repaint their houses in and out, especially in, at least once a year—because who wants to live with the memories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lentricchia/tom-said-people-should-repaint-their-houses-in-and-out-especially-in/) [Frank Lentricchia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lentricchia/) > [Tom said to himself that it was not such a hollow world, after all. He had discovered a great law of human action, without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/tom-said-to-himself-that-it-was-not-such-a-hollow-world-after-all-he/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [I was leaving the hotel to get to the fight when my phone went and someone said 'Hello Ricky, it's Tom'. I said 'Tom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-hatton/i-was-leaving-the-hotel-to-get-to-the-fight-when-my-phone-went-and/) [Ricky Hatton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-hatton/) > [“Damn it," I muttered. "What?" asked Adrian. "I hate when you're the sane one. That's my job." "Rose," he said, forcibly trying to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/damn-it-i-muttered-what-asked-adrian-i-hate-when-you-re-the-sane-one/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“Some people like to bitch, Rose said. Bitching is OK. But for me, I choose a kind of joy -- a lucid compulsion --…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-spanbauer/some-people-like-to-bitch-rose-said-bitching-is-ok-but-for-me-i/) [Tom Spanbauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-spanbauer/) > [“You are not at all like my rose," he said. "As yet you are nothing. No one has tamed you, and you have tamed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/you-are-not-at-all-like-my-rose-he-said-as-yet-you-are-nothing-no-one/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [“He swung it open and presented me with a single red rose. "For you," he said. "Very gallant," I replied. "Of course you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-duff/he-swung-it-open-and-presented-me-with-a-single-red-rose-for-you-he/) [Hilary Duff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-duff/) ## More by Hilary McKay > [“Darling Daddy, This is Rose. Very good news. Caddy is going to marry Micheal. In case you have forgotten because you have not been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mckay/darling-daddy-this-is-rose-very-good-news-caddy-is-going-to-marry/) [Hilary McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mckay/) > [“I love people who play guitars on roofs!" said Rose, hopping along the pavement in one of her sudden happy moods. "Don't you?" "Never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mckay/i-love-people-who-play-guitars-on-roofs-said-rose-hopping-along-the/) [Hilary McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mckay/) > [“There are all sorts of families," Tom's grandmother had remarked, and over the following few weeks Tom became part of the Casson family, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mckay/there-are-all-sorts-of-families-tom-s-grandmother-had-remarked-and/) [Hilary McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mckay/) > [“You can't be disgusting to people just because they annoy you!" she exclaimed very crossly. "Thousands of people annoy me! Millions of people annoy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mckay/you-can-t-be-disgusting-to-people-just-because-they-annoy-you-she/) [Hilary McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mckay/) > [Darling Daddy, This is Rose. The shed needs new wires now it has blown up. Caddy is bringing home rock-bottom boyfriends to see if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mckay/darling-daddy-this-is-rose-the-shed-needs-new-wires-now-it-has-blown/) [Hilary McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mckay/) > [Don't call me darling. I'm a driving instructor!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mckay/don-t-call-me-darling-i-m-a-driving-instructor/) [Hilary McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mckay/) > [“Oh, Micheal darling!" "Don't call me darling, I'm a driving instructor!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mckay/oh-micheal-darling-don-t-call-me-darling-i-m-a-driving-instructor/) [Hilary McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mckay/) > [How can I give you nothing? Do you seriously expect me to buy nothing, wrap up nothing, stick a gift tag on nothing, send…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mckay/how-can-i-give-you-nothing-do-you-seriously-expect-me-to-buy-nothing/) [Hilary McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mckay/) > [“He's an artist in London. We don't see him much." Tom gave him one of his quick, considering glances and asked, "Doesn't he live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mckay/he-s-an-artist-in-london-we-don-t-see-him-much-tom-gave-him-one-of/) [Hilary McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mckay/) > [“Darling Daddy, This is Rose. Saffy says everyone says it is Indigo's fault that their Head has two black eyes and a swelled-up nose.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mckay/darling-daddy-this-is-rose-saffy-says-everyone-says-it-is-indigo-s/) [Hilary McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mckay/) > [“Rose's work of art took her all day, including two playtimes, story time, and most of lunch. At the end of school it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mckay/rose-s-work-of-art-took-her-all-day-including-two-playtimes-story/) [Hilary McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mckay/) > [“Her mood was suddenly in free fall, a state she knew all too well. A heaviness inside. A hollow loneliness. A need to either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mckay/her-mood-was-suddenly-in-free-fall-a-state-she-knew-all-too-well-a/) [Hilary McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mckay/) > [On the board was a list of words and phrases which her mother considered not suitable for use in college T-shirt design. She had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mckay/on-the-board-was-a-list-of-words-and-phrases-which-her-mother/) [Hilary McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mckay/) > [Humans cannot fly, but they can get the flying feeling. All they need to do is go out at night into a wild storm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mckay/humans-cannot-fly-but-they-can-get-the-flying-feeling-all-they-need/) [Hilary McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mckay/) > [“Eve darling," said Bill earnestly. "I swear I didn't . . . " "You sweared about me driving the car," interrupted Indigo. "say a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mckay/eve-darling-said-bill-earnestly-i-swear-i-didn-t-you-sweared-about-me/) [Hilary McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mckay/) [Explore all 41 Hilary McKay quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mckay/) ## More Born quotes > [My mother says I didn't open my eyes for eight days after I was born, but when I did, the first thing I saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-taylor/my-mother-says-i-didn-t-open-my-eyes-for-eight-days-after-i-was-born/) [Elizabeth Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-taylor/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [The real world out there isn't nearly as nice as some people prefer it to be, so don't swallow everything your high-born teachers tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-real-world-out-there-isn-t-nearly-as-nice-as-some-people-prefer/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Anybody looking for a quiet life has picked the wrong century to born in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/anybody-looking-for-a-quiet-life-has-picked-the-wrong-century-to-born/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was born and raised in Orlando, where the economy and culture has been powerfully shaped by tourism, and so I've long been interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/i-was-born-and-raised-in-orlando-where-the-economy-and-culture-has/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [I know that in the rap game you've got a lot of people, that come from poverty, was born in poverty and if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-connor/i-know-that-in-the-rap-game-you-ve-got-a-lot-of-people-that-come-from/) [Jon Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-connor/) > [Nothing old is ever reborn but neither does it totally disappear. And that which has once been born, will always reappear in a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/nothing-old-is-ever-reborn-but-neither-does-it-totally-disappear-and/) [Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/) > [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Must I go bound while you go free Must I love a manwho doesn't love me Must I be born with so little art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/must-i-go-bound-while-you-go-free-must-i-love-a-manwho-doesn-t-love/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I'm not against gay people. I have a relative who is also gay. We can't help it if they were born that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-pacquiao/i-m-not-against-gay-people-i-have-a-relative-who-is-also-gay-we-can-t/) [Manny Pacquiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-pacquiao/) > [“Every child is born as angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/every-child-is-born-as-angel/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [For the glory born of Goodness Never dies, And its flag is not half-masted In the skies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-harte/for-the-glory-born-of-goodness-never-dies-and-its-flag-is-not-half/) [Bret Harte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-harte/) > [There are two kinds of beauty; there is a beauty which God gives at birth, and which withers as a flower. And there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-kuyper/there-are-two-kinds-of-beauty-there-is-a-beauty-which-god-gives-at/) [Abraham Kuyper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-kuyper/) > [If you can believe it, Hollywood wanted to change my birthdate. I was born after Valentine's Day, so they wanted to change it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-romero/if-you-can-believe-it-hollywood-wanted-to-change-my-birthdate-i-was/) [Cesar Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-romero/) Browse all 11,606 Born quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Once, when Tom was over here, to tease Rose, I asked him, \"Before she was born, can you remember? Were things just the same as they are these days? Did it still rain and get dark and all the stuff it does now? Did the sun go up and down in exactly the same way?\" Yes,\" Tom said, and then he smiled at Rose and said, \"No. Not really. Not exactly the same way.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Hilary McKay" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mckay/once-when-tom-was-over-here-to-tease-rose-i-asked-him-before-she-was/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Born" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mckay/once-when-tom-was-over-here-to-tease-rose-i-asked-him-before-she-was/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c81/hilary-mckay-16133_born_once-when-tom-was-over-here-to-tease-ros_1820475.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c81/hilary-mckay-16133_born_once-when-tom-was-over-here-to-tease-ros_1820475.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c81/hilary-mckay-16133_born_once-when-tom-was-over-here-to-tease-ros_1820475.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Once, when Tom was over here, to tease Rose, I asked him, \"Before she was born, can you remember? Were…” — Hilary McKay", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Hilary McKay", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mckay/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Once, when Tom was over here,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mckay/once-when-tom-was-over-here-to-tease-rose-i-asked-him-before-she-was/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mckay/once-when-tom-was-over-here-to-tease-rose-i-asked-him-before-she-was/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```