--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Peaceful with six children Darya…" description: "\"“Peaceful with six children Darya Alexandrova could not be...Rare indeed were the brief periods of peace...hard though it was for the mother to bear th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a5/leo-tolstoy-55_children_peaceful-with-six-children-darya-alexand_2531355.png" --- # Peaceful with six children Darya Alexandrova could not… ![“Peaceful with six children Darya Alexandrova could not be...Rare indeed were the brief periods of peace...hard though it was for the mother to bear the dread of illness, the illnesses themselves, and the grief of seeing signs of evil propensities in her children--the children themselves were even…” quote by Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a5/leo-tolstoy-55_children_peaceful-with-six-children-darya-alexand_2531355.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a5/leo-tolstoy-55_children_peaceful-with-six-children-darya-alexand_2531355.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a5/leo-tolstoy-55_children_peaceful-with-six-children-darya-alexand_2531355.png) > ““Peaceful with six children Darya Alexandrova could not be...Rare indeed were the brief periods of peace...hard though it was for the mother to bear the dread of illness, the illnesses themselves, and the grief of seeing signs of evil propensities in her children--the children themselves were even now repaying her in small joys for her sufferings. Those joys were so small that they passed unnoticed, like gold in sand, and at bad moments she could see nothing but the pain, nothing but sand; but there were good moments too when she saw nothing but the joy, nothing but gold. Now in the solitude of the country, she began to be more and more frequently aware of those joys. Often, looking at them, she would make every possible effort to persuade herself that she was mistaken, that she as a mother was partial to her children. All the same, she could not help saying to herself that she had charming children, all six of them in different ways, but a set of children such as is not often to be met with, and she was happy in them, and proud of them.”” [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Amid hardship, fleeting moments of joy provide solace and meaning, though they may be overlooked. **In simple terms:** Small joys give comfort in suffering. Key Takeaway Notice and cherish tiny joys. Themes suffering joy parenthood Mood reflective hopeful Type literary emotional When to use this quote - parenting - caregiving - grief processing - mental health coping Key Concepts human resilience gratitude Questions to Reflect On - What small joys have you missed lately? - How can you create space to notice them? A Different Perspective Joy can be fleeting and may not resolve deeper pain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Good mom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-mom/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Small joys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-joys/) ## Related quotes > [“With 6 children Darya Alexandrovna could not be calm. One got sick, another might get sick, a third lacked something, a fourth showed signs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/with-6-children-darya-alexandrovna-could-not-be-calm-one-got-sick/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“the children themselves repaid her griefs with small joys. These joys were so small that they could not be seen, like gold in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/the-children-themselves-repaid-her-griefs-with-small-joys-these-joys/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [We mortals with immortal minds are only born for sufferings and joys, and one could almost say that the most excellent receive joy through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-van-beethoven/we-mortals-with-immortal-minds-are-only-born-for-sufferings-and-joys/) [Ludwig van Beethoven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-van-beethoven/) > [Some children I have met are very beautiful. Some children are imbeciles, vulgar, terrible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanne-moreau/some-children-i-have-met-are-very-beautiful-some-children-are/) [Jeanne Moreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanne-moreau/) > [“...those children were already beginning to repay her care by affording her small joys. These joys were so trifling as to be as imperceptible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/those-children-were-already-beginning-to-repay-her-care-by-affording/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“Those joys were so small that they passed unnoticed, like gold in sand, and at bad moments she could see nothing but the pain,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/those-joys-were-so-small-that-they-passed-unnoticed-like-gold-in-sand/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“I remembered the scene in the Bible when Jacob asks Rachel for water and on hearing her speak the words that were prophesied for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-aciman/i-remembered-the-scene-in-the-bible-when-jacob-asks-rachel-for-water/) [André Aciman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-aciman/) > [“We were hockey gypsies, heading down another gravel road every weekend, plowing into the heart of that magnificent northern landscape. We never gave a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagamese/we-were-hockey-gypsies-heading-down-another-gravel-road-every-weekend/) [Richard Wagamese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagamese/) > [One of the small joys that's easy to miss in London is the blue plaques on buildings. These are put up to commemorate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-gill/one-of-the-small-joys-that-s-easy-to-miss-in-london-is-the-blue/) [A. A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill/) > [It is of the small joys and little pleasures that the greatest of our days are built.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-anne-radmacher/it-is-of-the-small-joys-and-little-pleasures-that-the-greatest-of-our/) [Mary Anne Radmacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-anne-radmacher/) > [I prefer hanging out with my small group of friends, maybe head to the beach once in three months, pursue my hobbies, and just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naga-chaitanya/i-prefer-hanging-out-with-my-small-group-of-friends-maybe-head-to-the/) [Naga Chaitanya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naga-chaitanya/) > [Everyone, some sooner than others, must endure his or her own personal 'hell on earth.' It is important to keep searching for the small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-some-sooner-than-others-must-endure-his-or-her-own-personal/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It never occurred to me that if one word from him could make me so happy, another could just as easily crush me, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-aciman/it-never-occurred-to-me-that-if-one-word-from-him-could-make-me-so/) [André Aciman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-aciman/) > [“The enthusiastic massacre began once more. She did love the children. Children were one of her small joys, even when they were fiends to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-cashore/the-enthusiastic-massacre-began-once-more-she-did-love-the-children/) [Kristin Cashore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-cashore/) > [Happiness. We're tearing our hair out to try to find a definition of it, for heaven's sake. Is it joy? People will tell you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-ois-lelord/happiness-we-re-tearing-our-hair-out-to-try-to-find-a-definition-of/) [François Lelord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-ois-lelord/) ## More by Leo Tolstoy > [These joys were so trifling as to be as imperceptible as grains of gold among the sand, and in moments of depression she saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/these-joys-were-so-trifling-as-to-be-as-imperceptible-as-grains-of/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [The only significance of life consists in helping to establish the kingdom of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/the-only-significance-of-life-consists-in-helping-to-establish-the/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“I already love in you your beauty, but I am only beginning to love in you that which is eternal and ever precious –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/i-already-love-in-you-your-beauty-but-i-am-only-beginning-to-love-in/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Energy rests upon love; and come as it will, there's no forcing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/energy-rests-upon-love-and-come-as-it-will-there-s-no-forcing-it/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“If you only knew what those society women are, and women in general! My father is right. 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She was standing talking to a lady at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/he-knew-she-was-there-by-the-rapture-and-the-terror-that-seized-on/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Rest, nature, books, music...such is my idea of happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/rest-nature-books-music-such-is-my-idea-of-happiness/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“He was not to blame for being born with an irrepressible charachter and a mind some how constrained.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/he-was-not-to-blame-for-being-born-with-an-irrepressible-charachter/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [I ask one thing only: I ask for the right to hope, to suffer as I do. But if even that cannot be, command…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/i-ask-one-thing-only-i-ask-for-the-right-to-hope-to-suffer-as-i-do/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [The idea shared by many that life is a vale of tears is just as false as the idea shared by the great majority,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/the-idea-shared-by-many-that-life-is-a-vale-of-tears-is-just-as-false/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [To say that a work of art is good, but incomprehensible to the majority of men, is the same as saying of some kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/to-say-that-a-work-of-art-is-good-but-incomprehensible-to-the/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [True life is lived when tiny changes occur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/true-life-is-lived-when-tiny-changes-occur/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) [Explore all 1,754 Leo Tolstoy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) ## More Children 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/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. 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Those joys were so small that they passed unnoticed, like gold in sand, and at bad moments she could see nothing but the pain, nothing but sand; but there were good moments too when she saw nothing but the joy, nothing but gold. Now in the solitude of the country, she began to be more and more frequently aware of those joys. Often, looking at them, she would make every possible effort to persuade herself that she was mistaken, that she as a mother was partial to her children. 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