---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As she spoke, I wanted to cry, because…"
description: "\"“As she spoke, I wanted to cry, because sometimes it's just so damn hard to be a mother. We have to wait and wait and wait for our children to open the..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/720/lisa-see-2200_children_as-she-spoke-i-wanted-to-cry-because-som_1991140.jpg"
---

#  As she spoke, I wanted to cry, because sometimes it's just…

![“As she spoke, I wanted to cry, because sometimes it's just so damn hard to be a mother. We have to wait and wait and wait for our children to open their hearts to us. And if that doesn't work, we have to bide our time and look for the moment of weakness when we can sneak back into their lives and…” quote by Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/720/lisa-see-2200_children_as-she-spoke-i-wanted-to-cry-because-som_1991140.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/720/lisa-see-2200_children_as-she-spoke-i-wanted-to-cry-because-som_1991140.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/720/lisa-see-2200_children_as-she-spoke-i-wanted-to-cry-because-som_1991140.jpg)

> ““As she spoke, I wanted to cry, because sometimes it's just so damn hard to be a mother. We have to wait and wait and wait for our children to open their hearts to us. And if that doesn't work, we have to bide our time and look for the moment of weakness when we can sneak back into their lives and they will see us and remember us for the people who love them unconditionally.””

[Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Motherhood can feel painfully challenging, requiring patience and strategic moments to reconnect with children who may be emotionally distant.

**In simple terms:** Motherhood is hard; patience and timing help reconnect.

Key Takeaway

Practice patience and seek moments to reconnect with children.

Themes

parenthood empathy family dynamics

Mood

empathetic reflective

Type

parental emotional

When to use this quote

- parent‑child relationships
- adolescent children
- family counseling

Key Concepts

emotional resilience unconditional love

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you create safe spaces for emotional sharing?
- What small actions can rebuild trust with your child?

A Different Perspective

May not apply to all parent‑child relationships.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Weakness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weakness/)

## Related quotes

> [My mother was superb. Even when I said to her, when I was nineteen, oh, I'm going to India. Her immediate reaction was, oh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/my-mother-was-superb-even-when-i-said-to-her-when-i-was-nineteen-oh-i/)

[Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/)

> [Mother, why will you not wait for me, when I am trying to hold you, so that even in Hades with our arms embracing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/odysseus/mother-why-will-you-not-wait-for-me-when-i-am-trying-to-hold-you-so/)

[Odysseus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/odysseus/)

> [“A decision made during a moment of weakness can ruin your life. To date, I had made three.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melika-dannese-lux/a-decision-made-during-a-moment-of-weakness-can-ruin-your-life-to/)

[Melika Dannese Lux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melika-dannese-lux/)

> [It was hard when my mother left us. I said to myself: 'You must keep working hard for her.' She was a teacher, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelechi-iheanacho/it-was-hard-when-my-mother-left-us-i-said-to-myself-you-must-keep/)

[Kelechi Iheanacho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelechi-iheanacho/)

> [“...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/)

> [“I can not believe you, Jack Henry!" Mum picks up her purse to smack me several good times. Hard. She's the only mother I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-cates/i-can-not-believe-you-jack-henry-mum-picks-up-her-purse-to-smack-me/)

[Georgia Cates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-cates/)

> [“One of the finest quotes I ever overheard on the streets of Miami Beach was, 'He fucked me so hard my mother came.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-leddick/one-of-the-finest-quotes-i-ever-overheard-on-the-streets-of-miami/)

[David Leddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-leddick/)

> [If you wait until your children are high school seniors to spring it on them that there's not a whole lot of money for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/if-you-wait-until-your-children-are-high-school-seniors-to-spring-it/)

[Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/)

> [It's been hard. My mother is proud of me, but her reaction swings wildly from day to day. I don't really take her point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-wilsey/it-s-been-hard-my-mother-is-proud-of-me-but-her-reaction-swings/)

[Sean Wilsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-wilsey/)

> [I work hard to show my mother that her child has a purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-b/i-work-hard-to-show-my-mother-that-her-child-has-a-purpose/)

[Lil B](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-b/)

> [I can't wait until I have my children. I love the idea that they don't have to do something that they have no interest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-barrymore/i-can-t-wait-until-i-have-my-children-i-love-the-idea-that-they-don-t/)

[Drew Barrymore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-barrymore/)

> [For reasons known to the Lord, some women are required to wait to have children. This delay is not easy for any righteous woman.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-l-dew/for-reasons-known-to-the-lord-some-women-are-required-to-wait-to-have/)

[Sheri L. Dew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-l-dew/)

> [Waiting upon the Lord gives us a priceless opportunity to discover that there are many who wait upon us. Our children wait upon us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-d-hales/waiting-upon-the-lord-gives-us-a-priceless-opportunity-to-discover/)

[Robert D. Hales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-hales/)

> [“He couldn't just take her home, bed her, and wait for children to pop out. Somewhere in between, he'd have to talk to her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-thomas/he-couldn-t-just-take-her-home-bed-her-and-wait-for-children-to-pop/)

[Jodi Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-thomas/)

> [It's so hard to be a mother and to also want to practice your art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosanna-arquette/it-s-so-hard-to-be-a-mother-and-to-also-want-to-practice-your-art/)

[Rosanna Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosanna-arquette/)

## More by Lisa See

> [“the birth of the twins and what happened to them, although traditional, has transformed me as irreversibly as soaking cloth in a vat of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/the-birth-of-the-twins-and-what-happened-to-them-although-traditional/)

[Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/)

> [When the sun is shining, think of the time it won't be, because even when you're sitting in your house with the doors shut,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/when-the-sun-is-shining-think-of-the-time-it-won-t-be-because-even/)

[Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/)

> [Snow Flower was my old same for life. I had a greater and deeper love for her than I could ever feel for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/snow-flower-was-my-old-same-for-life-i-had-a-greater-and-deeper-love/)

[Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/)

> [“When she reaches the ground, she looks from the old woman to me. A moment of confusion. Then recognition. I know her too, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/when-she-reaches-the-ground-she-looks-from-the-old-woman-to-me-a/)

[Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/)

> [“huigan—causes us to turn inward and reflect as the liquor coats our tongues, shimmers down our throats, and then rises again as fragrance. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/huigan-causes-us-to-turn-inward-and-reflect-as-the-liquor-coats-our/)

[Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/)

> [“...maybe writing doesn't require sacrifice. Maybe it's a gift to experience emotions through our brushes, ink, and paper. I wrote out sorrow, fear, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/maybe-writing-doesn-t-require-sacrifice-maybe-it-s-a-gift-to/)

[Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/)

> [“You can always count on people to crowded your party when you’re in glory but you should never dream of people sending you charcoal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/you-can-always-count-on-people-to-crowded-your-party-when-you-re-in/)

[Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/)

> [Let those who believe, believe. Let those who doubt, doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/let-those-who-believe-believe-let-those-who-doubt-doubt/)

[Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/)

> [It used to happen in villages and towns in China that they would have - I guess you'd call them beauty contests - where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/it-used-to-happen-in-villages-and-towns-in-china-that-they-would-have/)

[Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/)

> [“So many mistakes. So many errors. So much tragedy as a result. In that moment I understood that the cruelest words in the universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/so-many-mistakes-so-many-errors-so-much-tragedy-as-a-result-in-that/)

[Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/)

> [“Yes, she had held her family together, but at what cost to herself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/yes-she-had-held-her-family-together-but-at-what-cost-to-herself/)

[Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/)

> [“When in the world did anyone die from a dream?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/when-in-the-world-did-anyone-die-from-a-dream/)

[Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/)

> [But, you know, I just did a big trip in the spring to Vietnam and Cambodia and Thailand, and that's when I bought a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/but-you-know-i-just-did-a-big-trip-in-the-spring-to-vietnam-and/)

[Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/)

> [“Maybe that's what we're all like with our mothers. They seem ordinary until one day they're extraordinary.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/maybe-that-s-what-we-re-all-like-with-our-mothers-they-seem-ordinary/)

[Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/)

> [Model communes are the ones where the leaders lie the best and the biggest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/model-communes-are-the-ones-where-the-leaders-lie-the-best-and-the/)

[Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/)

[Explore all 178 Lisa See quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/)

## 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. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/)

[Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/)

> [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/)

[Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/)

> [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/)

[Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/)

> [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/)

[Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/)

[Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/)

> [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/)

[Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/)

> [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/)

[Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/)

> [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/)

[Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/)

> [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/)

[Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/)

[Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“As she spoke, I wanted to cry, because sometimes it's just so damn hard to be a mother. We have to wait and wait and wait for our children to open their hearts to us. And if that doesn't work, we have to bide our time and look for the moment of weakness when we can sneak back into their lives and they will see us and remember us for the people who love them unconditionally.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Lisa See"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/as-she-spoke-i-wanted-to-cry-because-sometimes-it-s-just-so-damn-hard/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Children"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/as-she-spoke-i-wanted-to-cry-because-sometimes-it-s-just-so-damn-hard/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/720/lisa-see-2200_children_as-she-spoke-i-wanted-to-cry-because-som_1991140.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/720/lisa-see-2200_children_as-she-spoke-i-wanted-to-cry-because-som_1991140.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/720/lisa-see-2200_children_as-she-spoke-i-wanted-to-cry-because-som_1991140.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“As she spoke, I wanted to cry, because sometimes it's just so damn hard to be a mother. We have to wait and…” — Lisa See",
                "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": "Lisa See",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“As she spoke, I wanted to...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/as-she-spoke-i-wanted-to-cry-because-sometimes-it-s-just-so-damn-hard/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/as-she-spoke-i-wanted-to-cry-because-sometimes-it-s-just-so-damn-hard/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
