--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The little boy had wandered away from his…" description: "\"The little boy had wandered away from his mother, tacking across the grass toward the play structure. His mother watched him go, proud, tickled, unawar..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86f/michael-chabon-627_away-from-you_the-little-boy-had-wandered-away-from-hi_169037.jpg" --- # The little boy had wandered away from his mother, tacking… ![“The little boy had wandered away from his mother, tacking across the grass toward the play structure. His mother watched him go, proud, tickled, unaware that every time they toddled away from you, they came back a little different, ten seconds older and nearer to the day when they left you for…” quote by Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86f/michael-chabon-627_away-from-you_the-little-boy-had-wandered-away-from-hi_169037.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86f/michael-chabon-627_away-from-you_the-little-boy-had-wandered-away-from-hi_169037.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86f/michael-chabon-627_away-from-you_the-little-boy-had-wandered-away-from-hi_169037.jpg) > “The little boy had wandered away from his mother, tacking across the grass toward the play structure. His mother watched him go, proud, tickled, unaware that every time they toddled away from you, they came back a little different, ten seconds older and nearer to the day when they left you for good. Pearl divers in training, staying under a few seconds longer every time.” [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote reflects on the bittersweet realization that each moment of separation, even brief, subtly changes relationships, highlighting the inevitability of growth and loss over time. **In simple terms:** Every short separation changes us and our bonds. Key Takeaway Cherish moments; stay present. Themes growth loss parenthood time impermanence Mood nostalgic reflective bittersweet Type observational philosophical When to use this quote - parent-child moments - training drills - life transitions - milestones - farewells Key Concepts attachment impermanence development Questions to Reflect On - How do you notice subtle changes in relationships? - What rituals help you honor fleeting moments? A Different Perspective It may overlook the agency of those who stay behind and their emotional labor. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Away from you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/away-from-you/) [Boys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boys/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Little boys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-boys/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Proud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proud/) [Structure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/structure/) [Training](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/training/) ## Related quotes > [“They hanged my mother. I watched her body swing from the lower branches of a silk cotton tree. She had committed a crime for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryse-cond/they-hanged-my-mother-i-watched-her-body-swing-from-the-lower/) Maryse Condé > [I was given away. If your mother gives you away, you think everybody who comes into your life is going to give you away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/i-was-given-away-if-your-mother-gives-you-away-you-think-everybody/) [Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) > [My sisters were sent away because my mother thought they were boring. I was not boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-lagerfeld/my-sisters-were-sent-away-because-my-mother-thought-they-were-boring/) [Karl Lagerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-lagerfeld/) > [“I drive at night. I blow things up. I have anotia. And long hair. Now go away, Mother.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-smith/i-drive-at-night-i-blow-things-up-i-have-anotia-and-long-hair-now-go/) [Andrew Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-smith/) > [“She started out of the kitchen, then stopped and put her hand on my shoulder, bending down to kiss me gently on the forehead.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/she-started-out-of-the-kitchen-then-stopped-and-put-her-hand-on-my/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“As the sky behind the Eddy Match Factory across the river filled with light, the steady timbre of the water and rapids became sentences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-urquhart/as-the-sky-behind-the-eddy-match-factory-across-the-river-filled-with/) [Jane Urquhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-urquhart/) > [“I was graduating in two months, but I wasn't to Pitzer, that was for sure. I was the old child, the past that had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-fitch/i-was-graduating-in-two-months-but-i-wasn-t-to-pitzer-that-was-for/) [Janet Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-fitch/) > [“I couldn't be certain whether their eagerness to leave was fueled by their desire to see more fire or to get away from my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-james/i-couldn-t-be-certain-whether-their-eagerness-to-leave-was-fueled-by/) [Heather James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-james/) > [“Pastor Jón: The Úa who came is not the one who went away. Because in the first place Úa cannot go away, and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/halld-r-laxness/pastor-j-n-the-a-who-came-is-not-the-one-who-went-away-because-in-the/) [Halldór Laxness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/halld-r-laxness/) > [“The lights flickered, the pain went away, and her mother was holding her, singing ‘Sleep sweet sleep’. (The Children of Ankh series) Kim Cormack”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-cormack/the-lights-flickered-the-pain-went-away-and-her-mother-was-holding/) [Kim Cormack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-cormack/) > [“(He probably was happy, too, to get away from his mother!)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberta-edwards/he-probably-was-happy-too-to-get-away-from-his-mother/) [Roberta Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberta-edwards/) > [The label of 'marathoner' has, from the beginning, been awarded to those who went the distance under their own power, whether they ran, walked,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-galloway/the-label-of-marathoner-has-from-the-beginning-been-awarded-to-those/) [Jeff Galloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-galloway/) > [The world for which you have been so carefully prepared is being taken away from you, by the grace of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-brueggemann/the-world-for-which-you-have-been-so-carefully-prepared-is-being/) [Walter Brueggemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-brueggemann/) > [Read. Always read. No one can take that away from you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percival-everett/read-always-read-no-one-can-take-that-away-from-you/) [Percival Everett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percival-everett/) > [But one of the things I learned is that when you fight for something you believe in and you tell the truth and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-kerry/but-one-of-the-things-i-learned-is-that-when-you-fight-for-something/) [Vanessa Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-kerry/) ## More by Michael Chabon > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“Anyway, it's a pretty good story," I said. "You have to admit." "Yeah?" He crumpled up the Kleenex, having dispatched the solitary tear. "You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/anyway-it-s-a-pretty-good-story-i-said-you-have-to-admit-yeah-he/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [There were so many Pittsburgh poets in my hallway that if, at that instant, a meteorite had come smashing through my roof, there would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/there-were-so-many-pittsburgh-poets-in-my-hallway-that-if-at-that/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“Badass.'" My grandfather sampled the flavor of the word. It did not seem to revolt him, but it was nothing he needed ever to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/badass-my-grandfather-sampled-the-flavor-of-the-word-it-did-not-seem/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [See you in the funny papers," he said. Jaunty, he reminded himself; always jaunty. In my panache is their hope for salvation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/see-you-in-the-funny-papers-he-said-jaunty-he-reminded-himself-always/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“I didn't want to be left alone with Timothy, not because I was afraid of him but because I was afraid that somebody would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/i-didn-t-want-to-be-left-alone-with-timothy-not-because-i-was-afraid/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“He had already seized this particular day once, but he was prepared, if need be, to go ahead and seize the motherfucker all over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/he-had-already-seized-this-particular-day-once-but-he-was-prepared-if/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“We figure he must have let him out. The perpetrator, I mean. He's blind and we figure he just wandered off and maybe got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/we-figure-he-must-have-let-him-out-the-perpetrator-i-mean-he-s-blind/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“Then I reminded myself that I was always willing to listen to arguments in favor of avoiding an unpleasant chore, and I shook my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/then-i-reminded-myself-that-i-was-always-willing-to-listen-to/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“Love great first lines and paragraphs. From The Yiddish Policemen's Union: Nine months Landsman's been flopping at the Hotel Zamenhof without any of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/love-great-first-lines-and-paragraphs-from-the-yiddish-policemen-s/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“Life blew in gusts from the hole in the side of the elephant with a rank smell and a comic flatulence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/life-blew-in-gusts-from-the-hole-in-the-side-of-the-elephant-with-a/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [Not only would I never want to belong to any club that would have me for a member--if elected I would wear street shoes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/not-only-would-i-never-want-to-belong-to-any-club-that-would-have-me/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [That's the best thing about writing, when you're in that zone, you're porous, ready to absorb the solution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/that-s-the-best-thing-about-writing-when-you-re-in-that-zone-you-re/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [Most science fiction seemed to be written for people who already liked science fiction; I wanted to write stories for anyone, anywhere, living at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/most-science-fiction-seemed-to-be-written-for-people-who-already/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [ “For as long as I could remember, I'd been making vague and confident assurances that any day I would finish the thing \[my book\].… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/for-as-long-as-i-could-remember-i-d-been-making-vague-and-confident/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) [Explore all 436 Michael Chabon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) ## More Away from you quotes > [But one of the things I learned is that when you fight for something you believe in and you tell the truth and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-kerry/but-one-of-the-things-i-learned-is-that-when-you-fight-for-something/) [Vanessa Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-kerry/) > [Read. Always read. No one can take that away from you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percival-everett/read-always-read-no-one-can-take-that-away-from-you/) [Percival Everett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percival-everett/) > [The world for which you have been so carefully prepared is being taken away from you, by the grace of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-brueggemann/the-world-for-which-you-have-been-so-carefully-prepared-is-being/) [Walter Brueggemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-brueggemann/) > [The label of 'marathoner' has, from the beginning, been awarded to those who went the distance under their own power, whether they ran, walked,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-galloway/the-label-of-marathoner-has-from-the-beginning-been-awarded-to-those/) [Jeff Galloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-galloway/) > [You're killing yourself with cynicism. Your idols got taken away from you one by one and now you have nothing to give your love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/you-re-killing-yourself-with-cynicism-your-idols-got-taken-away-from/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [Is driving a right? You are entitled to a driving license if you can abide by the traffic laws and drive responsibly. If your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-sina/is-driving-a-right-you-are-entitled-to-a-driving-license-if-you-can/) [Ali Sina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-sina/) > [If, when you talk to people, they keep backing away from you, it's because you're TOO CLOSE, alright? SO DON'T KEEP ADVANCING ON THEM…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/if-when-you-talk-to-people-they-keep-backing-away-from-you-it-s/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [Because you don't learn anything unless you can find the patience to read. TV takes that away from you. It robs you from your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/because-you-don-t-learn-anything-unless-you-can-find-the-patience-to/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [His lessons were chock-full of analogies for a variety of musical situations. Those little things were my favorites. 'No . . . that's too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-laureano/his-lessons-were-chock-full-of-analogies-for-a-variety-of-musical/) Manny Laureano > [Love leaves a memory nobody can take away from you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-campbell/love-leaves-a-memory-nobody-can-take-away-from-you/) [Danielle Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-campbell/) > [Roads taken far away from you are many. Do not fear, Mother; they all lead back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-levine/roads-taken-far-away-from-you-are-many-do-not-fear-mother-they-all/) [Adam Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-levine/) > [If you feel inside you are a woman, be a woman - no one can take that away from you, man. No one can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-davis/if-you-feel-inside-you-are-a-woman-be-a-woman-no-one-can-take-that/) [Jonathan Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-davis/) > [What you want most you push away from you. You want more than you care to admit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarjei-vesaas/what-you-want-most-you-push-away-from-you-you-want-more-than-you-care/) [Tarjei Vesaas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarjei-vesaas/) > [Once you're a mom, whether you're kids are next to you or far away from you, you're always a mom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-paradis/once-you-re-a-mom-whether-you-re-kids-are-next-to-you-or-far-away/) [Vanessa Paradis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-paradis/) > [Love yourself for who you are. You are beautiful inside and out, and nobody can take that away from you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-milian/love-yourself-for-who-you-are-you-are-beautiful-inside-and-out-and/) [Christina Milian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-milian/) [Browse all 243 Away from you quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/away-from-you/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The little boy had wandered away from his mother, tacking across the grass toward the play structure. His mother watched him go, proud, tickled, unaware that every time they toddled away from you, they came back a little different, ten seconds older and nearer to the day when they left you for good. 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