--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Motherhood was an ever widening circle of…" description: "\"Motherhood was an ever widening circle of good-byes.\" — Lisa Unger" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d98/lisa-unger-3678_bye_motherhood-was-an-ever-widening-circle-o_2543174.png" --- # Motherhood was an ever widening circle of good-byes. ![“Motherhood was an ever widening circle of good-byes.” quote by Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d98/lisa-unger-3678_bye_motherhood-was-an-ever-widening-circle-o_2543174.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d98/lisa-unger-3678_bye_motherhood-was-an-ever-widening-circle-o_2543174.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d98/lisa-unger-3678_bye_motherhood-was-an-ever-widening-circle-o_2543174.png) > “Motherhood was an ever widening circle of good-byes.” [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Motherhood expands, constantly saying goodbye to previous selves. **In simple terms:** Motherhood changes identity. Key Takeaway Accept evolving roles. Themes family identity change Mood nostalgic reflective Type philosophical emotional When to use this quote - parenting - career transitions - personal development Key Concepts psychology life stages growth Questions to Reflect On - What parts of yourself have you let go? - How do you honor past identities? A Different Perspective Balancing loss and gain can be painful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Circles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circles/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Motherhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motherhood/) [Widening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/widening/) ## Related quotes > [Good-byes breed a sort of distaste for whomever you say good-bye to; this hurts, you feel, this must not happen again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bowen/good-byes-breed-a-sort-of-distaste-for-whomever-you-say-good-bye-to/) [Elizabeth Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bowen/) > [This is a lifetime of good-byes. In our time, we will say good-bye to cherished people, things, and ideas. Eventually, we say good-bye to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mcwilliams/this-is-a-lifetime-of-good-byes-in-our-time-we-will-say-good-bye-to/) [Peter McWilliams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mcwilliams/) > [Look, I hate good-byes, too. But sometimes, we need them just to survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/look-i-hate-good-byes-too-but-sometimes-we-need-them-just-to-survive/) [Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/) > [It is never good dwelling on good-byes ... it is not the being together that it prolongs, it is the parting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bibesco/it-is-never-good-dwelling-on-good-byes-it-is-not-the-being-together/) [Elizabeth Bibesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bibesco/) > [ You \[meaning mothers\] said good-bye a little every day -- from the minute they left your body until they left your home. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/you-meaning-mothers-said-good-bye-a-little-every-day-from-the-minute/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) > [There are no good-byes, where ever you'll be, you'll be in my heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-no-good-byes-where-ever-you-ll-be-you-ll-be-in-my-heart/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Don’t say hello, Simon,” she’s told me. “Because then we’ll have to say good-bye, and I can’t stand good-byes.” My”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/don-t-say-hello-simon-she-s-told-me-because-then-we-ll-have-to-say/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [Promises can be broken just as easily as they were made, and as hard as it is to believe, sometimes good byes are forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cuts-and-scars/promises-can-be-broken-just-as-easily-as-they-were-made-and-as-hard/) Cuts And Scars > [So many faces in and out of my life; some will last, some will be just now and then. Life is a series of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/so-many-faces-in-and-out-of-my-life-some-will-last-some-will-be-just/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Good byes are for bad guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ace-kid/good-byes-are-for-bad-guys/) [Ace Kid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ace-kid/) > [Why can't we get all the people together in the world that we really like and then just stay together? I guess that wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-can-t-we-get-all-the-people-together-in-the-world-that-we-really/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The goodbyes we speak and the goodbyes we hear are the good byes that tell us we're still alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-goodbyes-we-speak-and-the-goodbyes-we-hear-are-the-good-byes-that/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [He moved on, in the centre of a widening circle. He wasn't an enemy, he was a nemesis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/he-moved-on-in-the-centre-of-a-widening-circle-he-wasn-t-an-enemy-he/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I live my life in widening circle That reach out across the world. I may not ever complete the last one, But I give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/i-live-my-life-in-widening-circle-that-reach-out-across-the-world-i/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [Our ancestors are an ever widening circle of hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/our-ancestors-are-an-ever-widening-circle-of-hope/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) ## More by Lisa Unger > [“When they’re small, they’re part of you, on you in bed, showering with you, climbing onto your lap, holding on to your leg. Slowly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/when-they-re-small-they-re-part-of-you-on-you-in-bed-showering-with/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) > [“We hate our parents for having their own lives, don’t we, for making decisions for themselves that don’t seem to take us into account.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/we-hate-our-parents-for-having-their-own-lives-don-t-we-for-making/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) > [“Depression is not dramatic, but it is total. It’s sneaky - you almost don’t notice it at first. Like a cat burglar, it comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/depression-is-not-dramatic-but-it-is-total-it-s-sneaky-you-almost-don/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) > [“...in the end it's not just the big and small events that make you who you are, make your life what it is, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/in-the-end-it-s-not-just-the-big-and-small-events-that-make-you-who/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) > [The Universe doesn't like secrets. It conspires to reveal the truth, to lead you to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/the-universe-doesn-t-like-secrets-it-conspires-to-reveal-the-truth-to/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) > [“We have more patience for girls who act like boys than boys who act like girls. A tomboy is considered cute. One day she’ll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/we-have-more-patience-for-girls-who-act-like-boys-than-boys-who-act/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) > [“You didn't wind up on a pole without a lot of help from your family.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/you-didn-t-wind-up-on-a-pole-without-a-lot-of-help-from-your-family/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) > [Writers are first and foremost observers. We lose ourselves in the watching and then the telling of the world we find. Often we feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/writers-are-first-and-foremost-observers-we-lose-ourselves-in-the/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) > [I loved him so much. It didn't change all the reasons we couldn't be together, but it kept me returning to his body, kept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/i-loved-him-so-much-it-didn-t-change-all-the-reasons-we-couldn-t-be/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) > [It was a strange lightness, a drifting feeling. Zero gravity. I understood that everything that once seemed solid and immovable might just float away.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/it-was-a-strange-lightness-a-drifting-feeling-zero-gravity-i/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) > [Of course, like all organic processes, there is an ebb and a flow to writing. One does not exist without the other. The writer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/of-course-like-all-organic-processes-there-is-an-ebb-and-a-flow-to/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) > [When you start to really know someone, all his physical characteristics start to disappear. You begin to dwell in his energy, recognize the scent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/when-you-start-to-really-know-someone-all-his-physical/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) > [It's strange how memory gets twisted and pulled like taffy in its retelling, how a single event can mean something different to everyone present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/it-s-strange-how-memory-gets-twisted-and-pulled-like-taffy-in-its/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) > [Many people believe that evil is the presence of something. I think it's the absence of something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/many-people-believe-that-evil-is-the-presence-of-something-i-think-it/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) > [Even if someone is overcome with rage, it takes amazing arrogance to kill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/even-if-someone-is-overcome-with-rage-it-takes-amazing-arrogance-to/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) [Explore all 124 Lisa Unger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) ## More Bye quotes > [Keep hoping to see the light in her eyes. Even knowing it'll mean she's saying good-bye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/keep-hoping-to-see-the-light-in-her-eyes-even-knowing-it-ll-mean-she/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [Farewell,' she said. 'I hope you hear many more songs' - which was the best way she could think of to say good-bye to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-s-beagle/farewell-she-said-i-hope-you-hear-many-more-songs-which-was-the-best/) [Peter S. Beagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-s-beagle/) > [Gather the stars if you wish it so Gather the songs and keep them. Gather the faces of women. Gather for keeping years and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/gather-the-stars-if-you-wish-it-so-gather-the-songs-and-keep-them/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [There's no greater power than the power of good-bye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madonna-ciccone/there-s-no-greater-power-than-the-power-of-good-bye/) [Madonna Ciccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madonna-ciccone/) > [I do not say goodbye. I believe that's one of the bullshitiest words ever invented. It's not like you're given the choice to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-do-not-say-goodbye-i-believe-that-s-one-of-the-bullshitiest-words/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [That's right. You'll like Owl. He flew past a day or two ago and noticed me. He didn't actually say anything, mind you, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-s-right-you-ll-like-owl-he-flew-past-a-day-or-two-ago-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If you want to live your life in a creative way, as an artist, you have to not look back too much. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/if-you-want-to-live-your-life-in-a-creative-way-as-an-artist-you-have/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [If you said good-bye to me tonight, There would still be music left to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-joel/if-you-said-good-bye-to-me-tonight-there-would-still-be-music-left-to/) [Billy Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-joel/) > [The importance of our connection, what it meant to find each other again, the way it made what happened to us and between us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-zarr/the-importance-of-our-connection-what-it-meant-to-find-each-other/) [Sara Zarr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-zarr/) > [And he left. I watched him walk out – he didn’t say good-bye, he didn’t even look back. It scared me, how easy it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-zarr/and-he-left-i-watched-him-walk-out-he-didn-t-say-good-bye-he-didn-t/) [Sara Zarr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-zarr/) > [Lies hold civilization together. If people ever seriously begin telling each other what they really think, there'd be no peace. Good-bye to tact. Good-bye…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/lies-hold-civilization-together-if-people-ever-seriously-begin/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) > [I am there for the best interests of the fighters, I want them to win. If they don’t accept that, bye bye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bas-rutten/i-am-there-for-the-best-interests-of-the-fighters-i-want-them-to-win/) [Bas Rutten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bas-rutten/) > [There's nothing in the street Looks any different to me And the slogans are replaced, by-the-bye And the parting on the left Is now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-temple/there-s-nothing-in-the-street-looks-any-different-to-me-and-the/) [Julien Temple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-temple/) > [In Hawaii they say, "aloha." That's a nice one, It means both "hello" and "good-bye" Which just goes to show, if you spend enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/in-hawaii-they-say-aloha-that-s-a-nice-one-it-means-both-hello-and/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [I said hello unnoticed, you said good-bye too soon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-stewart/i-said-hello-unnoticed-you-said-good-bye-too-soon/) [Rod Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-stewart/) Browse all 282 Bye quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Motherhood was an ever widening circle of good-byes.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lisa Unger" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/motherhood-was-an-ever-widening-circle-of-good-byes/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bye" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/motherhood-was-an-ever-widening-circle-of-good-byes/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d98/lisa-unger-3678_bye_motherhood-was-an-ever-widening-circle-o_2543174.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d98/lisa-unger-3678_bye_motherhood-was-an-ever-widening-circle-o_2543174.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d98/lisa-unger-3678_bye_motherhood-was-an-ever-widening-circle-o_2543174.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Motherhood was an ever widening circle of good-byes.” — Lisa Unger", "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 Unger", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Motherhood was an ever widening circle...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/motherhood-was-an-ever-widening-circle-of-good-byes/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/motherhood-was-an-ever-widening-circle-of-good-byes/#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 } } ] } ```