--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But I had never seen her that way. I had…" description: "\"“But I had never seen her that way. I had never known her as Pauline, the name he parents had given her, or as Posey, the name her friends had given he..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb1/mitch-albom-187_bowling-alley_but-i-had-never-seen-her-that-way-i-had_1638504.jpg" --- # But I had never seen her that way. I had never known her… ![“But I had never seen her that way. I had never known her as Pauline, the name he parents had given her, or as Posey, the name her friends had given her; only as Mom, the name I had given her. I could only see her carrying dinner to the table with kitchen mitts, or carpooling us to the bowling alley.” quote by Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb1/mitch-albom-187_bowling-alley_but-i-had-never-seen-her-that-way-i-had_1638504.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb1/mitch-albom-187_bowling-alley_but-i-had-never-seen-her-that-way-i-had_1638504.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb1/mitch-albom-187_bowling-alley_but-i-had-never-seen-her-that-way-i-had_1638504.jpg) > ““But I had never seen her that way. I had never known her as Pauline, the name he parents had given her, or as Posey, the name her friends had given her; only as Mom, the name I had given her. I could only see her carrying dinner to the table with kitchen mitts, or carpooling us to the bowling alley.”” [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator sees his mother only through everyday roles, not as the person she was before, highlighting how we often recognize loved ones by their functions rather than their full identities. **In simple terms:** We often view loved ones by their daily duties, not their whole selves. Key Takeaway Recognize people beyond their roles. Themes family memory identity perspective Mood nostalgic thoughtful Type literary reflective When to use this quote - remembering parents - reflecting on family relationships - appreciating hidden depths Key Concepts role perception family dynamics personal history Questions to Reflect On - How might you see your mother beyond her daily tasks? - What does this reveal about how we view loved ones? A Different Perspective May overlook deeper personal qualities behind familiar roles. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bowling Alley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bowling-alley/) [Given Mom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/given-mom-546566/) [Known Pauline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/known-pauline-546565/) [Mom Given](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mom-given-546567/) [Pauline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pauline-546568/) [Pauline Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pauline-parents-546564/) ## Related quotes > [My mom, given what she went through, was 'Every day is a new one, something beautiful can happen, something tragic can happen, but every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-mayorkas/my-mom-given-what-she-went-through-was-every-day-is-a-new-one/) [Alejandro Mayorkas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-mayorkas/) > [Perhaps we are given a mom that we might take into death the memory of a lullaby.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/perhaps-we-are-given-a-mom-that-we-might-take-into-death-the-memory/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [“Pauline examined her face for a few seconds more, her jaw set. And then she smiled a little, not kindly, raising her eyebrows and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mcdermott/pauline-examined-her-face-for-a-few-seconds-more-her-jaw-set-and-then/) [Alice McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mcdermott/) > [“The sad thing was that Pauline did not really care for clothes and makeup. She merely wanted other women to cast favorable glances her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/the-sad-thing-was-that-pauline-did-not-really-care-for-clothes-and/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [I was born Pauline Matthews and grew up in Bradford as one of three children - I had an older brother, David, and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiki-dee/i-was-born-pauline-matthews-and-grew-up-in-bradford-as-one-of-three/) [Kiki Dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiki-dee/) > [“I could still see that Pauline was one of the most beautiful girls I had ever met, but of the ancient fire which had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/i-could-still-see-that-pauline-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-girls-i/) [P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) > [“Pauline felt uncomfortable with the few black women she met. They were amused by her because she did not straighten her hair. When she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/pauline-felt-uncomfortable-with-the-few-black-women-she-met-they-were/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [Every one of us loves Pauline theology, but few of us want Pauline pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-chandler/every-one-of-us-loves-pauline-theology-but-few-of-us-want-pauline-pain/) [Matt Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-chandler/) > [“Instead of ignoring her infirmity, pretending it was not there, he made it seem like something special and endearing. For the first time Pauline…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/instead-of-ignoring-her-infirmity-pretending-it-was-not-there-he-made/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Pauline, she could almost imagine it to say. Pauline, Pauline, Pauline. That couldn’t be right. It had to be saying something else. Probably, You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/pauline-she-could-almost-imagine-it-to-say-pauline-pauline-pauline/) [tessa dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/) > [“Considering what Pauline's been through . . ." Will began, then stopped himself. "She's not very nice." "She's a cold-blooded bitch." "I'm surprised I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/considering-what-pauline-s-been-through-will-began-then-stopped/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [My relationship with Pauline is special. She knows I will always be there to hold her hand. We have the same expressions and gestures.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/princess-stephanie-of-monaco/my-relationship-with-pauline-is-special-she-knows-i-will-always-be/) [Princess Stephanie of Monaco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/princess-stephanie-of-monaco/) > [It would be hilarious if I worked in a bowling alley.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aubrey-plaza/it-would-be-hilarious-if-i-worked-in-a-bowling-alley/) [Aubrey Plaza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aubrey-plaza/) > [Few Americans have ever met their Congresspeople. They don't see them at the grocery store; they don't meet them at the bowling alley. They're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/few-americans-have-ever-met-their-congresspeople-they-don-t-see-them/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [In most cases, the best strategy for a job interview is to be fairly honest, because the worst thing that can happen is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-most-cases-the-best-strategy-for-a-job-interview-is-to-be-fairly/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Mitch Albom > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [the words people do not speak are louder than the ones they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/the-words-people-do-not-speak-are-louder-than-the-ones-they-do/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“Once, lovers on faraway shores sat by candlelight and dipped ink to parchment, writing words that could not be erased. They took an evening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/once-lovers-on-faraway-shores-sat-by-candlelight-and-dipped-ink-to/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [Giving to other people makes me feel alive. Not my car or my house. Not what I look like in the mirror. When I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/giving-to-other-people-makes-me-feel-alive-not-my-car-or-my-house-not/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [Life goes quickly, doesn't it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/life-goes-quickly-doesn-t-it/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [As children grow, they gravitate to their fates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/as-children-grow-they-gravitate-to-their-fates/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“If the only thing wrong with Moses is that he's not yours; if the only thing wrong with Jesus is that he's not yours;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/if-the-only-thing-wrong-with-moses-is-that-he-s-not-yours-if-the-only/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“Sometimes your kids will say the nastiest things, won't they, Rose? You want to ask,'Whose child is this?'" Rose chuckled. "But usually, they're just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/sometimes-your-kids-will-say-the-nastiest-things-won-t-they-rose-you/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“whisper their good-byes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/whisper-their-good-byes/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“I had also developed my own culture. Work. Over the years, I had taken labor as my companion and had moved everything else to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/i-had-also-developed-my-own-culture-work-over-the-years-i-had-taken/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [When we are most alone is when we embrace another's loneliness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/when-we-are-most-alone-is-when-we-embrace-another-s-loneliness/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“You didn’t get it. Sacrifice is a part of life. It’s supposed to be. It’s not something to regret. It’s something to aspire to.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/you-didn-t-get-it-sacrifice-is-a-part-of-life-it-s-supposed-to-be-it/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [I give myself a good cry if I need it. But then I concentrate on the good things still in my life. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/i-give-myself-a-good-cry-if-i-need-it-but-then-i-concentrate-on-the/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [It was sad, the imbalance of it all. Why do kids assume so much from one parent and hold the other to a lower,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/it-was-sad-the-imbalance-of-it-all-why-do-kids-assume-so-much-from/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) [Explore all 962 Mitch Albom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) ## More Bowling Alley quotes > [In most cases, the best strategy for a job interview is to be fairly honest, because the worst thing that can happen is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-most-cases-the-best-strategy-for-a-job-interview-is-to-be-fairly/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Few Americans have ever met their Congresspeople. They don't see them at the grocery store; they don't meet them at the bowling alley. They're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/few-americans-have-ever-met-their-congresspeople-they-don-t-see-them/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [It would be hilarious if I worked in a bowling alley.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aubrey-plaza/it-would-be-hilarious-if-i-worked-in-a-bowling-alley/) [Aubrey Plaza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aubrey-plaza/) > [“I try to tell the teacher, you know. I don't give a fuck about geometry or English. Like I'm probably going to drive a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-bradfield/i-try-to-tell-the-teacher-you-know-i-don-t-give-a-fuck-about-geometry/) [Scott Bradfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-bradfield/) > [We've played everywhere since I started The Licks. We've played arenas, clubs, school cafeterias and bowling alleys. It doesn't matter where the venue is;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliette-lewis/we-ve-played-everywhere-since-i-started-the-licks-we-ve-played-arenas/) [Juliette Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juliette-lewis/) > [The struggle you see in the Republican Party today is the country club Republican versus the bowling alley Republican. Colin Powell brings us back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-du-pont/the-struggle-you-see-in-the-republican-party-today-is-the-country/) [Pete du Pont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-du-pont/) > [Having children is like having a bowling alley installed in your brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mull/having-children-is-like-having-a-bowling-alley-installed-in-your-brain/) [Martin Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mull/) > [You ought to try surviving one of my family reunions. It's like having a bowling alley in your brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-buchanan/you-ought-to-try-surviving-one-of-my-family-reunions-it-s-like-having/) [Edna Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-buchanan/) > [But my husband came from a small town and hardworking parents like I did, and I don't think we've lost that mind-set. We don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-underwood/but-my-husband-came-from-a-small-town-and-hardworking-parents-like-i/) [Carrie Underwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-underwood/) > [Having a family is like having a bowling alley installed in your head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mull/having-a-family-is-like-having-a-bowling-alley-installed-in-your-head/) [Martin Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mull/) > [“It's an old story," Julia says, leaning back in her chair. "Only for me, it's new. I went to school for industrial design. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/it-s-an-old-story-julia-says-leaning-back-in-her-chair-only-for-me-it/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [Nail salons and bowling alleys play the best radio stations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-jacobs/nail-salons-and-bowling-alleys-play-the-best-radio-stations/) [Gillian Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-jacobs/) > [Usually one must go to a bowling alley to meet a woman of your stature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gielgud/usually-one-must-go-to-a-bowling-alley-to-meet-a-woman-of-your-stature/) [John Gielgud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gielgud/) > [Some people throw a bit of their personality after their bad arguments, as if that might straighten their paths and turn them into right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/some-people-throw-a-bit-of-their-personality-after-their-bad/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“There he lay spooked, a spinning wheel in a celestial bowling alley.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-rosoff/there-he-lay-spooked-a-spinning-wheel-in-a-celestial-bowling-alley/) [Meg Rosoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-rosoff/) [Browse all 53 Bowling Alley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bowling-alley/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But I had never seen her that way. 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