--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I spent my summers in a war zone because…" description: "\"I spent my summers in a war zone because my parents were afraid that if we didn't go back to Palestine every single summer, we'd grow up to be Madonna...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cde/maysoon-zayid-12949_grow-up_i-spent-my-summers-in-a-war-zone-because_1096944.jpg" --- # I spent my summers in a war zone because my parents were… ![“I spent my summers in a war zone because my parents were afraid that if we didn't go back to Palestine every single summer, we'd grow up to be Madonna.” quote by Maysoon Zayid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cde/maysoon-zayid-12949_grow-up_i-spent-my-summers-in-a-war-zone-because_1096944.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cde/maysoon-zayid-12949_grow-up_i-spent-my-summers-in-a-war-zone-because_1096944.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cde/maysoon-zayid-12949_grow-up_i-spent-my-summers-in-a-war-zone-because_1096944.jpg) > “I spent my summers in a war zone because my parents were afraid that if we didn't go back to Palestine every single summer, we'd grow up to be Madonna.” [Maysoon Zayid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maysoon-zayid/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Avoiding uncomfortable places can unintentionally shape identity and cultural perception. **In simple terms:** Avoidance shapes identity. Key Takeaway Embrace discomfort. Themes identity culture conflict Mood thoughtful inspired Type social personal When to use this quote - travel - education - community building - activism Key Concepts sociology psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does avoidance affect personal growth? - What can you do to confront discomfort? A Different Perspective Fear can limit growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Palestine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/palestine/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents/) [Summer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/summer/) [Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/summers/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War zone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-zone/) ## Related quotes > [When you say, 'I spent my summers at the Jersey Shore,' people always say, 'Oh, really?' They think of the TV show. So I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/when-you-say-i-spent-my-summers-at-the-jersey-shore-people-always-say/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [I spent two summers managing the Midland Angels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-maddon/i-spent-two-summers-managing-the-midland-angels/) [Joe Maddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-maddon/) > [Having spent many summers in Southampton as a New Yorker, and as someone whose family has a place in Newport, I have a strong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tinsley-mortimer/having-spent-many-summers-in-southampton-as-a-new-yorker-and-as/) [Tinsley Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tinsley-mortimer/) > [Growing up, it was about finding a way to entertain myself outdoors. We spent all the summers on the beach, camping with my family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colletti/growing-up-it-was-about-finding-a-way-to-entertain-myself-outdoors-we/) [Stephen Colletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colletti/) > [Peter de Jonge and I have both spent summers in the Hamptons. We know a lot about the area and I hope it shows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/peter-de-jonge-and-i-have-both-spent-summers-in-the-hamptons-we-know/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [I didn't start traveling abroad until I was 17, but I spent many summers on the beaches of Donegal in Ireland.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitriona-balfe/i-didn-t-start-traveling-abroad-until-i-was-17-but-i-spent-many/) [Caitriona Balfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitriona-balfe/) > [I love the ocean; growing up around Laguna Beach, I spent my summers surfing, diving, and snorkeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-macgillivray/i-love-the-ocean-growing-up-around-laguna-beach-i-spent-my-summers/) [Greg MacGillivray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-macgillivray/) > [I spent my summers in Connecticut scooping ice cream and babysitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-gummer/i-spent-my-summers-in-connecticut-scooping-ice-cream-and-babysitting/) [Grace Gummer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-gummer/) > [I grew up outside of Boston in a town called Manchester by the Sea, and we spent our summers in Nantucket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-faxon/i-grew-up-outside-of-boston-in-a-town-called-manchester-by-the-sea/) [Nat Faxon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-faxon/) > [I speak in reality. I don't try to hide anything from anybody, and that's the most dangerous thing about our music that parents are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-manson/i-speak-in-reality-i-don-t-try-to-hide-anything-from-anybody-and-that/) [Marilyn Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-manson/) > [“Sometimes, we have to give birth to our children twice…Once your child becomes the "garbage" other parents are afraid of, you never look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-fontaine/sometimes-we-have-to-give-birth-to-our-children-twice-once-your-child/) [Claire Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-fontaine/) > [“Whenever doubts become a crime... whenever parents become afraid their children might turn them in; a country where the power of the government is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osiris-brackhaus/whenever-doubts-become-a-crime-whenever-parents-become-afraid-their/) Osiris Brackhaus > [Some children are afraid to die because their parents are afraid to die. My own children have come to understand that it's totally okay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/some-children-are-afraid-to-die-because-their-parents-are-afraid-to/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [Some of the reasons people don't approach their parents is they're afraid of being judged. And also their parents don't share their own struggles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-germanotta/some-of-the-reasons-people-don-t-approach-their-parents-is-they-re/) [Cynthia Germanotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-germanotta/) > [The millennials were raised in a cocoon, their anxious parents afraid to let them go out in the park to play. So should we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/the-millennials-were-raised-in-a-cocoon-their-anxious-parents-afraid/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) ## More by Maysoon Zayid > [I'm not trying to represent all Muslim women. I'm trying to give voice to the silent majority. Unfortunately, I'm a bit loony.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maysoon-zayid/i-m-not-trying-to-represent-all-muslim-women-i-m-trying-to-give-voice/) [Maysoon Zayid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maysoon-zayid/) > [As far as characters that are written as Muslims, we're only seeing one dimension. It's either the good Muslim who is helping the FBI,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maysoon-zayid/as-far-as-characters-that-are-written-as-muslims-we-re-only-seeing/) [Maysoon Zayid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maysoon-zayid/) > [When I ask people what they think of when they hear the term 'cerebral palsy,' I usually get one of two responses. They either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maysoon-zayid/when-i-ask-people-what-they-think-of-when-they-hear-the-term-cerebral/) [Maysoon Zayid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maysoon-zayid/) > [My friend and I founded the New York Arab-American Comedy Festival to counter the negative images of Arabs in media. And we always made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maysoon-zayid/my-friend-and-i-founded-the-new-york-arab-american-comedy-festival-to/) [Maysoon Zayid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maysoon-zayid/) > [People with disabilities are the largest minority in the world, and we are the most underrepresented in entertainment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maysoon-zayid/people-with-disabilities-are-the-largest-minority-in-the-world-and-we/) [Maysoon Zayid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maysoon-zayid/) > [The Palestine I know is a place where Christians and Muslims are equal. My mother, a Muslim village girl, attended a Catholic girls' school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maysoon-zayid/the-palestine-i-know-is-a-place-where-christians-and-muslims-are/) [Maysoon Zayid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maysoon-zayid/) > [I shake all the time. It's exhausting and causes chronic pain in my joints and muscles. It is also the only life I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maysoon-zayid/i-shake-all-the-time-it-s-exhausting-and-causes-chronic-pain-in-my/) [Maysoon Zayid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maysoon-zayid/) > [I have to tell you, it's very boring, but before I did yoga, I was a stand-up comedian who can't stand up. And now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maysoon-zayid/i-have-to-tell-you-it-s-very-boring-but-before-i-did-yoga-i-was-a/) [Maysoon Zayid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maysoon-zayid/) > [I think that social media has really empowered bullies because you get to do it from the comfort of your own home, completely anonymously,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maysoon-zayid/i-think-that-social-media-has-really-empowered-bullies-because-you/) [Maysoon Zayid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maysoon-zayid/) > [From fear to bonding with the audience to getting more open - that's what standup is. It humanises you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maysoon-zayid/from-fear-to-bonding-with-the-audience-to-getting-more-open-that-s/) [Maysoon Zayid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maysoon-zayid/) > [As a comedian, Trump is comedy gold, and he almost makes my job too easy... the stuff that comes out of his mouth is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maysoon-zayid/as-a-comedian-trump-is-comedy-gold-and-he-almost-makes-my-job-too/) [Maysoon Zayid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maysoon-zayid/) > [In 2006, I hung out with The Carter Center as they monitored the Palestinian elections. Nobody thought Hamas would win. Hamas did not think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maysoon-zayid/in-2006-i-hung-out-with-the-carter-center-as-they-monitored-the/) [Maysoon Zayid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maysoon-zayid/) > [The United States needs to stop putting Israel's wants above Palestinian rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maysoon-zayid/the-united-states-needs-to-stop-putting-israel-s-wants-above/) [Maysoon Zayid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maysoon-zayid/) > [I am not naive, and I do realize that racism is alive and well in the United States of America. I am also fully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maysoon-zayid/i-am-not-naive-and-i-do-realize-that-racism-is-alive-and-well-in-the/) [Maysoon Zayid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maysoon-zayid/) > [With George Bush, I had absolutely no fear that I would ever be silenced. With Donald Trump, I think I could get dragged offstage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maysoon-zayid/with-george-bush-i-had-absolutely-no-fear-that-i-would-ever-be/) [Maysoon Zayid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maysoon-zayid/) [Explore all 52 Maysoon Zayid quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maysoon-zayid/) ## More Grow up quotes > [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/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [Five World Series rings, 3000-plus hits, the fame, the fortune and playing for the second most historic franchise in baseball... These are just some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mookie-betts/five-world-series-rings-3000-plus-hits-the-fame-the-fortune-and/) [Mookie Betts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mookie-betts/) > [I had to grow up quite fast, trying to cook for myself, trying to make laundry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jannik-sinner/i-had-to-grow-up-quite-fast-trying-to-cook-for-myself-trying-to-make/) [Jannik Sinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jannik-sinner/) > [I've definitely been to my fair share of Dodger games growing up. Didn't grow up too far from the stadium. That's where I first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-yelich/i-ve-definitely-been-to-my-fair-share-of-dodger-games-growing-up-didn/) [Christian Yelich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-yelich/) > [You grow up and recognize that in any educated secular society, there's no excuse for ignorance. You have to recognize in yourself, and challenge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hozier/you-grow-up-and-recognize-that-in-any-educated-secular-society-there/) [Hozier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hozier/) > [I didn't grow up reading magazines; I was very much in an environment where that would have been deemed trivial, frivolous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dervla-kirwan/i-didn-t-grow-up-reading-magazines-i-was-very-much-in-an-environment/) [Dervla Kirwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dervla-kirwan/) > [Most people don't grow up. It's too damn difficult. What happens is most people get older. That's the truth of it. They honor their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/most-people-don-t-grow-up-it-s-too-damn-difficult-what-happens-is/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [When a mother or father is willing to pay smugglers and risk the lives of their own children by sending them on a dangerous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-sharpton/when-a-mother-or-father-is-willing-to-pay-smugglers-and-risk-the/) [Al Sharpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-sharpton/) > [When you grow up close to poultry and fields and gardens and open-air markets, you can't help but develop an instinct for quality food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-ducasse/when-you-grow-up-close-to-poultry-and-fields-and-gardens-and-open-air/) [Alain Ducasse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-ducasse/) > [It's hard to grow up in front of the whole world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jelly-roll/it-s-hard-to-grow-up-in-front-of-the-whole-world/) [Jelly Roll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jelly-roll/) > [I think it's important not to grow up too fast. I'm 26 now, and I still can't wait for Christmas Day. The inner seven-year-old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-haddock/i-think-it-s-important-not-to-grow-up-too-fast-i-m-26-now-and-i-still/) [Laura Haddock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-haddock/) > [You've got your family. You've got your kids. You grow up a lot faster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-janikowski/you-ve-got-your-family-you-ve-got-your-kids-you-grow-up-a-lot-faster/) [Sebastian Janikowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-janikowski/) > [I didn't grow up in one of those restrictive Christian households where you couldn't do this or that. We were brought up with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yolanda-adams/i-didn-t-grow-up-in-one-of-those-restrictive-christian-households/) [Yolanda Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yolanda-adams/) > [People can talk about punk all they want, but after new wave put that down, metal is the voice of the disenfranchised and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-taylor/people-can-talk-about-punk-all-they-want-but-after-new-wave-put-that/) [Corey Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-taylor/) Browse all 1,300 Grow up quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I spent my summers in a war zone because my parents were afraid that if we didn't go back to Palestine every single summer, we'd grow up to be Madonna.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Maysoon Zayid" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maysoon-zayid/i-spent-my-summers-in-a-war-zone-because-my-parents-were-afraid-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Grow up" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maysoon-zayid/i-spent-my-summers-in-a-war-zone-because-my-parents-were-afraid-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cde/maysoon-zayid-12949_grow-up_i-spent-my-summers-in-a-war-zone-because_1096944.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cde/maysoon-zayid-12949_grow-up_i-spent-my-summers-in-a-war-zone-because_1096944.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cde/maysoon-zayid-12949_grow-up_i-spent-my-summers-in-a-war-zone-because_1096944.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I spent my summers in a war zone because my parents were afraid that if we didn't go back to Palestine every…” — Maysoon Zayid", "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": "Maysoon Zayid", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maysoon-zayid/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I spent my summers in a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maysoon-zayid/i-spent-my-summers-in-a-war-zone-because-my-parents-were-afraid-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maysoon-zayid/i-spent-my-summers-in-a-war-zone-because-my-parents-were-afraid-that/#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 } } ] } ```