--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To my mum, I owe security in a very…" description: "\"To my mum, I owe security in a very insecure young life. We lived in about 10 different places because of my father's chequered career, and she always ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cd/john-lithgow-2438_consistency_to-my-mum-i-owe-security-in-a-very-insec_1171575.jpg" --- # To my mum, I owe security in a very insecure young life… ![“To my mum, I owe security in a very insecure young life. We lived in about 10 different places because of my father's chequered career, and she always made me feel a sense of consistency and security. I was a well-mothered boy.” quote by John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cd/john-lithgow-2438_consistency_to-my-mum-i-owe-security-in-a-very-insec_1171575.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cd/john-lithgow-2438_consistency_to-my-mum-i-owe-security-in-a-very-insec_1171575.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cd/john-lithgow-2438_consistency_to-my-mum-i-owe-security-in-a-very-insec_1171575.jpg) > “To my mum, I owe security in a very insecure young life. We lived in about 10 different places because of my father's chequered career, and she always made me feel a sense of consistency and security. I was a well-mothered boy.” [John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) ## 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’s consistent presence provides stability amid a chaotic, unsettled childhood, shaping resilience and security. **In simple terms:** Mother’s consistency gives stability in chaos. Key Takeaway Value and emulate that stability. Themes family security resilience parenting Mood grateful reflective Type personal inspirational When to use this quote - frequent moves - childhood insecurity - building trust - seeking stability Key Concepts maternal influence psychological stability Questions to Reflect On - How did your mother’s steadiness affect your adult life? - What can you do to create stability for others? A Different Perspective Stability may not fully erase past insecurity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Consistency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consistency/) [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [Different places](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-places/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Insecure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insecure/) [Insecure Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insecure-young-3398399/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mothered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mothered-1432186/) [Mothered Boy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mothered-boy-3398400/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/security/) [Security Mothered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/security-mothered-3398398/) [She](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/she/) [Young life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-life/) ## Related quotes > [Mother love has been much maligned. An over mothered boy may go through life expecting each new woman to love him the way his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-pittman/mother-love-has-been-much-maligned-an-over-mothered-boy-may-go/) [Frank Pittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-pittman/) > [I was an insecure young man. So my need for total dedication from the people I was working with was very great. Those things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-was-an-insecure-young-man-so-my-need-for-total-dedication-from-the/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I went from being able to walk down the street and be ignored to having men whistle at me. I was an insecure young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-de-cadenet/i-went-from-being-able-to-walk-down-the-street-and-be-ignored-to/) [Amanda de Cadenet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-de-cadenet/) > [“When does it stop-the longing to be mothered?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emery-lord/when-does-it-stop-the-longing-to-be-mothered/) [Emery Lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emery-lord/) > [The church has been under-fathered and over-mothered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-redman/the-church-has-been-under-fathered-and-over-mothered/) [Matt Redman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-redman/) > [“She mothered them. She mothered him. He hated it and loved it. He wished her quiet and prayed she would never stop talking. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-harmon/she-mothered-them-she-mothered-him-he-hated-it-and-loved-it-he-wished/) [Amy Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-harmon/) > [I would rather be the child of a mother who has all the inner conflicts of the human being than be mothered by someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-woods-winnicott/i-would-rather-be-the-child-of-a-mother-who-has-all-the-inner/) [Donald Woods Winnicott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-woods-winnicott/) > [I always knew my mother was different, different from the other mothers in the way she dressed, the way she spoke, but most obviously,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-brooks/i-always-knew-my-mother-was-different-different-from-the-other/) [Kim Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-brooks/) > [They looked as if nothing had ever touched them--all well-mothered, protected, with a soft sheen of contentment. None of them had ever been in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/they-looked-as-if-nothing-had-ever-touched-them-all-well-mothered/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [I don't have this sort of checklist of things that have to be done, andif they're not checked, then I've failed some part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-aniston/i-don-t-have-this-sort-of-checklist-of-things-that-have-to-be-done/) [Jennifer Aniston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-aniston/) > [I have nothing maternal in me, and men want to be mothered a lot of the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/i-have-nothing-maternal-in-me-and-men-want-to-be-mothered-a-lot-of/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [I have always been a mother. When I was kid, I mothered my younger brother. I mothered my parents and even my boyfriends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sushmita-sen/i-have-always-been-a-mother-when-i-was-kid-i-mothered-my-younger/) [Sushmita Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sushmita-sen/) > [Mother' is not just about the physical mother but the fact of needing to be mothered, needing to have something that surrounded me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldie/mother-is-not-just-about-the-physical-mother-but-the-fact-of-needing/) [Goldie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldie/) > [The women in the room chatted about love, about childhood, about losing parents, about Mr. Spock, about good books they'd read. They mothered each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/the-women-in-the-room-chatted-about-love-about-childhood-about-losing/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [“...it was hard to be a mother when you had never been mothered yourself. Your children's needs remind you of your needs. Their pain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dunn/it-was-hard-to-be-a-mother-when-you-had-never-been-mothered-yourself/) [Sarah Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dunn/) ## More by John Lithgow > [It's nice when you've done enough movies that you can do your own anthology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/it-s-nice-when-you-ve-done-enough-movies-that-you-can-do-your-own/) [John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) > [The Broadway audience is made up of a greater percentage of tourists now. There's not nearly as much variety and danger and challenge in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/the-broadway-audience-is-made-up-of-a-greater-percentage-of-tourists/) [John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) > [My sense of myself is that I'm a character actor, and character actors are ready, willing, and able to do anything, to be totally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/my-sense-of-myself-is-that-i-m-a-character-actor-and-character-actors/) [John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) > [The essence of comedy, drama, and horror is surprise. I have an uncanny ability to surprise people because they look at my face, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/the-essence-of-comedy-drama-and-horror-is-surprise-i-have-an-uncanny/) [John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) > [I never get tired of hearing compliments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/i-never-get-tired-of-hearing-compliments/) [John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) > [I think there are all sorts of ways of turning into an actor, and there are a vast variety of different actors. You know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/i-think-there-are-all-sorts-of-ways-of-turning-into-an-actor-and/) [John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) > [I'd sleep under a Vermeer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/i-d-sleep-under-a-vermeer/) [John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) > [I'm an avid Boston Red Sox fan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/i-m-an-avid-boston-red-sox-fan/) [John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) > [My very first role was when I was 2 1/2 years old; I was one of Nora's children in 'A Doll's House,' with my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/my-very-first-role-was-when-i-was-2-1-2-years-old-i-was-one-of-nora-s/) [John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) > [I'm as flighty as anybody. You put a lot out there. I've been through the process a lot. When I play a major role,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/i-m-as-flighty-as-anybody-you-put-a-lot-out-there-i-ve-been-through/) [John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) > [We all grow up with inherited genes and inherited sensibilities, and they run very, very deep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/we-all-grow-up-with-inherited-genes-and-inherited-sensibilities-and/) [John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) > [I don't deal with the nuts and bolts of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/i-don-t-deal-with-the-nuts-and-bolts-of-life/) [John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) > [My worst audition was for Tim Burton for 'Batman.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/my-worst-audition-was-for-tim-burton-for-batman/) [John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) > [I gave up shame a long time ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/i-gave-up-shame-a-long-time-ago/) [John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) > [Time sneaks up on you like a windshield on a bug.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/time-sneaks-up-on-you-like-a-windshield-on-a-bug/) [John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) [Explore all 166 John Lithgow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) ## More Consistency quotes > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [The four Cs of making dreams come true: Curiosity, Courage, Consistency, Confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/the-four-cs-of-making-dreams-come-true-curiosity-courage-consistency/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [One things guys have to remember is consistency... You can't make up for three years of eating poorly in just one workout.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/one-things-guys-have-to-remember-is-consistency-you-can-t-make-up-for/) [Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/) > [I give you everything you want as an artist, for so long. Consistency. Wordplay. Wittiness. You can check the checklist. Only thing I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jadakiss/i-give-you-everything-you-want-as-an-artist-for-so-long-consistency/) [Jadakiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jadakiss/) > [I have always wanted to learn the piano, but because I travel so much, I can never get any consistency of lessons. So everywhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-hamilton/i-have-always-wanted-to-learn-the-piano-but-because-i-travel-so-much/) [Lewis Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-hamilton/) > [There's always, I guess, a philosophy that if you come in, you want to change all the parts, you want to change everything over.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-gillick/there-s-always-i-guess-a-philosophy-that-if-you-come-in-you-want-to/) [Pat Gillick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-gillick/) > [But change must always be balanced with some degree of consistency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-d-burton/but-change-must-always-be-balanced-with-some-degree-of-consistency/) [Ron D. Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-d-burton/) > [“Strong trust is built brick by brick, through honesty, consistency, and showing up even when it’s hard to keep the promise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayoub-imilouane/strong-trust-is-built-brick-by-brick-through-honesty-consistency-and/) [Ayoub Imilouane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayoub-imilouane/) > [I like the consistency of a TV show, but I like it for three months out of my year, not nine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-mack/i-like-the-consistency-of-a-tv-show-but-i-like-it-for-three-months/) [Allison Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-mack/) > [The superpowers often behave like two heavily armed blind men feeling their way around a room, each believing himself in mortal peril from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-superpowers-often-behave-like-two-heavily-armed-blind-men-feeling/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“So, whenever you find yourself putting forth great effort without success, you're trying to force something that won't fit under the circumstances. That's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-vigorito/so-whenever-you-find-yourself-putting-forth-great-effort-without/) [Tony Vigorito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-vigorito/) > [To me, style is consistency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/to-me-style-is-consistency/) [Adam Ant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-ant/) > [About 120 million of us place the big bang 2,500 years after the Babylonians and Sumerians learned to brew beer. If our polls are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/about-120-million-of-us-place-the-big-bang-2-500-years-after-the/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [I've learned over the years that when it comes to success, consistency is key. Consistent hard work that we may not like doing today,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/i-ve-learned-over-the-years-that-when-it-comes-to-success-consistency/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [Consistency of performance is essential. You don't have to be exceptional every week but as a minimum you need to be at a level…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-dyche/consistency-of-performance-is-essential-you-don-t-have-to-be/) [Sean Dyche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-dyche/) [Browse all 866 Consistency quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consistency/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To my mum, I owe security in a very insecure young life. We lived in about 10 different places because of my father's chequered career, and she always made me feel a sense of consistency and security. I was a well-mothered boy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Lithgow" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/to-my-mum-i-owe-security-in-a-very-insecure-young-life-we-lived-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Consistency" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/to-my-mum-i-owe-security-in-a-very-insecure-young-life-we-lived-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cd/john-lithgow-2438_consistency_to-my-mum-i-owe-security-in-a-very-insec_1171575.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cd/john-lithgow-2438_consistency_to-my-mum-i-owe-security-in-a-very-insec_1171575.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cd/john-lithgow-2438_consistency_to-my-mum-i-owe-security-in-a-very-insec_1171575.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To my mum, I owe security in a very insecure young life. We lived in about 10 different places because of my…” — John Lithgow", "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": "John Lithgow", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To my mum, I owe security...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/to-my-mum-i-owe-security-in-a-very-insecure-young-life-we-lived-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/to-my-mum-i-owe-security-in-a-very-insecure-young-life-we-lived-in/#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 } } ] } ```