--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Because I had children relatively late…" description: "\"Because I had children relatively late - in my 40s rather than in my 20s - it wasn't anything I ever knew that I would do. It kind of happened to me: I..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a3/mark-strong-9188_children_because-i-had-children-relatively-late-i_1724038.jpg" --- # Because I had children relatively late - in my 40s rather… ![“Because I had children relatively late - in my 40s rather than in my 20s - it wasn't anything I ever knew that I would do. It kind of happened to me: I met the right woman and we had children. It was a revelation because it suddenly makes me realize, 'Oh, I get it. Now I know what to do with the…” quote by Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a3/mark-strong-9188_children_because-i-had-children-relatively-late-i_1724038.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a3/mark-strong-9188_children_because-i-had-children-relatively-late-i_1724038.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a3/mark-strong-9188_children_because-i-had-children-relatively-late-i_1724038.jpg) > “Because I had children relatively late - in my 40s rather than in my 20s - it wasn't anything I ever knew that I would do. It kind of happened to me: I met the right woman and we had children. It was a revelation because it suddenly makes me realize, 'Oh, I get it. Now I know what to do with the rest of my life.” [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Late parenthood revealed a purpose, showing that unexpected events can clarify life’s direction. **In simple terms:** Late children clarified his life purpose. Key Takeaway Stay open to unexpected life changes. Themes parenthood purpose timing self‑discovery Mood thoughtful optimistic Type inspirational personal When to use this quote - career planning - family decisions - midlife transitions Key Concepts life course theory meaning-making Questions to Reflect On - How did meeting the right partner reshape his outlook? - What can you learn from late‑life revelations? A Different Perspective Unexpected timing can cause regret if not embraced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Revelations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revelations/) ## Related quotes > [Having children was a revelation - it's like going through a doorway, and everything is different forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lincoln/having-children-was-a-revelation-it-s-like-going-through-a-doorway/) [Andrew Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lincoln/) > [You never know what's actually going on in a person's life. You don't know what happened to them before you met them...and that's why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-perry/you-never-know-what-s-actually-going-on-in-a-person-s-life-you-don-t/) [Katy Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-perry/) > [“This is my fault. If you’d never met me, this wouldn’t have happened.” “If I’d never met you, I would never gotten to hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-cunning/this-is-my-fault-if-you-d-never-met-me-this-wouldn-t-have-happened-if/) [Olivia Cunning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-cunning/) > [“We’re starting over with something that isn’t broken – and we have a chance to get it right this time. I think what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-mizera/we-re-starting-over-with-something-that-isn-t-broken-and-we-have-a/) Kat Mizera > [The happening that happened was that I met this girl ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/the-happening-that-happened-was-that-i-met-this-girl/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [To become famous in your late 40s is a really, really weird concept. People come up to me and call my name and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-blades/to-become-famous-in-your-late-40s-is-a-really-really-weird-concept/) [Jay Blades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-blades/) > [I am in my late 40s now, so I wake up fatter than when I went to bed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bishop/i-am-in-my-late-40s-now-so-i-wake-up-fatter-than-when-i-went-to-bed/) [John Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bishop/) > [When I was about 25, I went to a hand reader, this Indian guy in a funky neighborhood. He said: The height of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-mirren/when-i-was-about-25-i-went-to-a-hand-reader-this-indian-guy-in-a/) [Helen Mirren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-mirren/) > [I've always romanticized the late '40s and '50s - the cars, jazz, the open roads and lack of pollution. Now there are more vehicles,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrett-hedlund/i-ve-always-romanticized-the-late-40s-and-50s-the-cars-jazz-the-open/) [Garrett Hedlund](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-hedlund/) > [I think I am more liberated as an artiste in my late 40s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manisha-koirala/i-think-i-am-more-liberated-as-an-artiste-in-my-late-40s/) [Manisha Koirala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manisha-koirala/) > [It's amazing being a member of perhaps the last analog generation - being born in the late '40s, growing up in the '50s and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-larroquette/it-s-amazing-being-a-member-of-perhaps-the-last-analog-generation/) [John Larroquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-larroquette/) > [I vividly remember being in my mid- to late-20s. That part of life is very emotional, and exciting, and dramatic in a way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-brubaker/i-vividly-remember-being-in-my-mid-to-late-20s-that-part-of-life-is/) [Ed Brubaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-brubaker/) > [I always felt like I was born in the wrong time period. I felt like I should've been born in the mid-to-late '40s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilie-de-ravin/i-always-felt-like-i-was-born-in-the-wrong-time-period-i-felt-like-i/) [Emilie de Ravin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilie-de-ravin/) > [The political vibe of late-'40s Hollywood through the mid-'50s is something we're seeing a lot of echoes of right now, and in a scary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-brubaker/the-political-vibe-of-late-40s-hollywood-through-the-mid-50s-is/) [Ed Brubaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-brubaker/) > [Now that I'm in my late 40s, I'm trying to make up for a little bit of lost musicals time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lancashire/now-that-i-m-in-my-late-40s-i-m-trying-to-make-up-for-a-little-bit-of/) [Sarah Lancashire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lancashire/) ## More by Mark Strong > [Some jobs you do, they're just jobs. Others are life experiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/some-jobs-you-do-they-re-just-jobs-others-are-life-experiences/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [I've never been one of those actors who plays chess with his career and goes, 'I'm going to wait now and see what project…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/i-ve-never-been-one-of-those-actors-who-plays-chess-with-his-career/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [I'm like anyone; I make a lot of my assumptions about actors I don't know from what I read about them. And then I'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/i-m-like-anyone-i-make-a-lot-of-my-assumptions-about-actors-i-don-t/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [For me, family comes over and above everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/for-me-family-comes-over-and-above-everything/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [It's important to me that I don't spend too much time away from the family. I try to pick jobs that will keep me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/it-s-important-to-me-that-i-don-t-spend-too-much-time-away-from-the/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [I was born in London, and my family is here. America is an interesting place, but it's incredibly different culturally. It doesn't take long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/i-was-born-in-london-and-my-family-is-here-america-is-an-interesting/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [I do get antsy if I haven't got lines to learn, a character to play. But yes, I do take holidays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/i-do-get-antsy-if-i-haven-t-got-lines-to-learn-a-character-to-play/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [I studied at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, which was founded by Laurence Olivier and has alumni like Jeremy Irons and Daniel Day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/i-studied-at-the-bristol-old-vic-theatre-school-which-was-founded-by/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [I think it serves the purpose of the film if the premise is that you're unsure of me because you've only ever really seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/i-think-it-serves-the-purpose-of-the-film-if-the-premise-is-that-you/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [I studied law, so perhaps I might have made it to the Bar, though I gave up that idea when I suspected playing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/i-studied-law-so-perhaps-i-might-have-made-it-to-the-bar-though-i/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [There have been things over the years that didn't work. 'Body Of Lies,' directed by Ridley Scott, which I did with Russell Crowe and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/there-have-been-things-over-the-years-that-didn-t-work-body-of-lies/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [I can't imagine anything worse than being in a position that you're not allowed to live your life privately.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/i-can-t-imagine-anything-worse-than-being-in-a-position-that-you-re/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [ \[Before I Go To Sleep\] script was a great journey with all the twists and turns that were kind of unexpected. I had to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/before-i-go-to-sleep-script-was-a-great-journey-with-all-the-twists/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [It's great to have the chance to play a character before he goes to the dark side, or the yellow side if you will.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/it-s-great-to-have-the-chance-to-play-a-character-before-he-goes-to/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [Rowan Joffe is very specific. I mean, he wrote it as well and he has a very orderly writer's mind and the same applies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/rowan-joffe-is-very-specific-i-mean-he-wrote-it-as-well-and-he-has-a/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) [Explore all 74 Mark Strong quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) ## 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": "Because I had children relatively late - in my 40s rather than in my 20s - it wasn't anything I ever knew that I would do. It kind of happened to me: I met the right woman and we had children. It was a revelation because it suddenly makes me realize, 'Oh, I get it. 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