---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes Sarah would be up and about and…"
description: "\"“Sometimes Sarah would be up and about and when she saw Pete she would let something slip.He would walk into the kitchen to say hello and she would say..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1d/nicole-trope-12924_asking-questions_sometimes-sarah-would-be-up-and-about-an_2640813.jpg"
---

#  Sometimes Sarah would be up and about and when she saw…

![“Sometimes Sarah would be up and about and when she saw Pete she would let something slip.He would walk into the kitchen to say hello and she would say, ‘Do you think whoever has him knows that he likes to read about space? Do you think they know he loves pasta but hates corn?’They were random…” quote by Nicole Trope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1d/nicole-trope-12924_asking-questions_sometimes-sarah-would-be-up-and-about-an_2640813.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1d/nicole-trope-12924_asking-questions_sometimes-sarah-would-be-up-and-about-an_2640813.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1d/nicole-trope-12924_asking-questions_sometimes-sarah-would-be-up-and-about-an_2640813.jpg)

> ““Sometimes Sarah would be up and about and when she saw Pete she would let something slip.He would walk into the kitchen to say hello and she would say, ‘Do you think whoever has him knows that he likes to read about space? Do you think they know he loves pasta but hates corn?’They were random questions. Pete tried to answer at first but then he realised that Sarah wasn’t really talking to him. She was simply voicing out loud the questions that went through her head every day, all day, tormenting her. 'Do they know he likes Vegemite toast for breakfast?’ ‘Do they know how he likes his scrambled eggs?’ ‘Are they making sure he has his milk every day?’ ‘Are they keeping him warm?’ ‘Are they being kind to him?’ ‘Is he going to school?’ ‘Do they know he hates to be tickled?’ ‘Are they hurting him? Are they hurting my little boy?’ What could he say to that? Pete said nothing. He hung his head and waited for her to stop asking questions.””

[Nicole Trope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-trope/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Sarah repeatedly asks Pete questions about his needs, revealing her anxiety and desire for reassurance about his wellbeing.

**In simple terms:** Sarah voices worries about Pete’s care, showing her fear and need for certainty.

Key Takeaway

Listen to underlying concerns, communicate openly.

Themes

anxiety caregiving communication

Mood

concerned empathetic

Type

narrative emotional

When to use this quote

- parental care
- medical caregiving
- daily routines
- emotional support

Key Concepts

attachment trust reassurance

Questions to Reflect On

- How can caregivers express concerns without causing distress?
- What signals indicate a need for reassurance?

A Different Perspective

Sarah’s questions may overwhelm Pete, leading to silence.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

## Related quotes

> [No Malcom X in my history text, why is that? 'Cause he tried to educate and liberate all blacks. Why is Martin Luther King…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/no-malcom-x-in-my-history-text-why-is-that-cause-he-tried-to-educate/)

[Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/)

> [“We turned out to be good for each other. For a stitch of time all the hard questions went away and hid in dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-block/we-turned-out-to-be-good-for-each-other-for-a-stitch-of-time-all-the/)

[Lawrence Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-block/)

> [“How many bedrooms did you say there are?” “Six.” “Which one’s ours?” “Tonight, all of them,” I say, and stop. She crashes into me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-hodkin/how-many-bedrooms-did-you-say-there-are-six-which-one-s-ours-tonight/)

[Michelle Hodkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-hodkin/)

> [How do you get into magazines? How can you get on TV or in your local newspaper? What can you do so others will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-edward/how-do-you-get-into-magazines-how-can-you-get-on-tv-or-in-your-local/)

[Mark Edward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-edward/)

> [“I’m already moving towards the kitchen as I say this, because one thing I’ve learned is that you never, ever enter negotiations with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsty-eagar/i-m-already-moving-towards-the-kitchen-as-i-say-this-because-one/)

[Kirsty Eagar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsty-eagar/)

> [“The kid's driving me bat-shit," Cam complained as he stalked into the kitchen. "You can't say boo to him without him squaring up for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/the-kid-s-driving-me-bat-shit-cam-complained-as-he-stalked-into-the/)

[Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/)

> [“You should really, like, dump her and date me instead,' May heard herself saying, all confidence. 'I'm not as irritating. I mean, I'm irritating,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-johnson/you-should-really-like-dump-her-and-date-me-instead-may-heard-herself/)

[Maureen Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-johnson/)

> [“And why wouldn’t Pete have said something to me about him going?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/and-why-wouldn-t-pete-have-said-something-to-me-about-him-going/)

[Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/)

> [I've heard a lot of really awful, negative things said about Pete, and it's like, Dude, you don't even have a clue how honest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stump/i-ve-heard-a-lot-of-really-awful-negative-things-said-about-pete-and/)

[Patrick Stump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stump/)

> [“He died of a breaking heart," Pete said, making a stout log fence of his hands around the glove compartment and leaning forward to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-woolf/he-died-of-a-breaking-heart-pete-said-making-a-stout-log-fence-of-his/)

[Douglas Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-woolf/)

> [And when I started college, I think I was good at two things: arguing and asking questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hughes/and-when-i-started-college-i-think-i-was-good-at-two-things-arguing/)

[Karen Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hughes/)

> [“Wise are those who keep asking questions when everyone around them think they know the answers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-bartell/wise-are-those-who-keep-asking-questions-when-everyone-around-them/)

J. Bartell

> [“The breakdown of the neighborhoods also meant the end of what was essentially an extended family…With the breakdown of the extended family, too much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/the-breakdown-of-the-neighborhoods-also-meant-the-end-of-what-was/)

[Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/)

> [By questioning all the aspects of our business, we continuously inject improvement and innovation into our culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dell/by-questioning-all-the-aspects-of-our-business-we-continuously-inject/)

[Michael Dell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dell/)

> [And in your new lives you'll have to live entirely for that one sensation-that of imminent truth. And you're going to have to holler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/and-in-your-new-lives-you-ll-have-to-live-entirely-for-that-one/)

[Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/)

## More by Nicole Trope

> [“He said I was a dirty boy,’ whispered Lockie. ‘I was a dirty boy and that was why he did stuff to me, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-trope/he-said-i-was-a-dirty-boy-whispered-lockie-i-was-a-dirty-boy-and-that/)

[Nicole Trope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-trope/)

> [“And then to win the prize had been incredible. She felt like she was being seen, actually being seen, for the first time in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-trope/and-then-to-win-the-prize-had-been-incredible-she-felt-like-she-was/)

[Nicole Trope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-trope/)

> [“Tina thought about the idea of how much a person could take. People only survived because they turned the real into the surreal. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-trope/tina-thought-about-the-idea-of-how-much-a-person-could-take-people/)

[Nicole Trope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-trope/)

> [“Lockie got lost.’ ‘Yeah, he did.’ ‘But you found him.’ ‘I think we kind of found each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-trope/lockie-got-lost-yeah-he-did-but-you-found-him-i-think-we-kind-of/)

[Nicole Trope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-trope/)

> [“Tina wondered how long it had taken Lockie to give up on his parents. How long had he shouted and screamed and hoped for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-trope/tina-wondered-how-long-it-had-taken-lockie-to-give-up-on-his-parents/)

[Nicole Trope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-trope/)

> [“The police up in the city had endless files filled with people who were so malevolent it was almost impossible to believe they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-trope/the-police-up-in-the-city-had-endless-files-filled-with-people-who/)

[Nicole Trope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-trope/)

> [“Tina and her mother were in the process of healing; they had to heal and soon they would be healed. But Tina knew that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-trope/tina-and-her-mother-were-in-the-process-of-healing-they-had-to-heal/)

[Nicole Trope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-trope/)

> [“Tina knew she could have taken the man a tree that grew its own money and he would say, ‘Not much call for money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-trope/tina-knew-she-could-have-taken-the-man-a-tree-that-grew-its-own-money/)

[Nicole Trope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-trope/)

> [“Sarah put the man and the other dead children out of her head. Later, perhaps, she would watch Lockie out in the garden and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-trope/sarah-put-the-man-and-the-other-dead-children-out-of-her-head-later/)

[Nicole Trope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-trope/)

> [“That’s what Lockie was—a little boy.It could do your head in if you thought too much about the cruelty that one person could inflict…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-trope/that-s-what-lockie-was-a-little-boy-it-could-do-your-head-in-if-you/)

[Nicole Trope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-trope/)

> [“She could not remember the casual Sarah who needed her morning latte before she did anything else. She had willingly given that Sarah up,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-trope/she-could-not-remember-the-casual-sarah-who-needed-her-morning-latte/)

[Nicole Trope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-trope/)

> [“Kids didn’t just disappear unless someone made them disappear.‘Relax, mate,’ the head of security said. ‘We’ve never lost one yet.’ Lots of kids wandered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-trope/kids-didn-t-just-disappear-unless-someone-made-them-disappear-relax/)

[Nicole Trope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-trope/)

> [“Maybe it was easier if you knew your child was dead. It was a thought that stopped him in his tracks sometimes but he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-trope/maybe-it-was-easier-if-you-knew-your-child-was-dead-it-was-a-thought/)

[Nicole Trope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-trope/)

> [“If the clean man was not the boy’s father and if he had taken him, Tina knew that someone must be looking for him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-trope/if-the-clean-man-was-not-the-boy-s-father-and-if-he-had-taken-him/)

[Nicole Trope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-trope/)

> [“When he began cramming in the bites of burger Tina and Sarah both said, almost at the same time, ‘Slowly, Lockie.’Lockie slowed down and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-trope/when-he-began-cramming-in-the-bites-of-burger-tina-and-sarah-both/)

[Nicole Trope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-trope/)

[Explore all 52 Nicole Trope quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-trope/)

## More Asking questions quotes

> [And in your new lives you'll have to live entirely for that one sensation-that of imminent truth. And you're going to have to holler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/and-in-your-new-lives-you-ll-have-to-live-entirely-for-that-one/)

[Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/)

> [By questioning all the aspects of our business, we continuously inject improvement and innovation into our culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dell/by-questioning-all-the-aspects-of-our-business-we-continuously-inject/)

[Michael Dell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dell/)

> [“The breakdown of the neighborhoods also meant the end of what was essentially an extended family…With the breakdown of the extended family, too much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/the-breakdown-of-the-neighborhoods-also-meant-the-end-of-what-was/)

[Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/)

> [“Wise are those who keep asking questions when everyone around them think they know the answers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-bartell/wise-are-those-who-keep-asking-questions-when-everyone-around-them/)

J. Bartell

> [And when I started college, I think I was good at two things: arguing and asking questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hughes/and-when-i-started-college-i-think-i-was-good-at-two-things-arguing/)

[Karen Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hughes/)

> [Keep on asking the questions and learn to accept the answers, even if they are not the same as what you would have loved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/keep-on-asking-the-questions-and-learn-to-accept-the-answers-even-if/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Going online and asking questions is the best way to learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-felton/going-online-and-asking-questions-is-the-best-way-to-learn/)

[Tom Felton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-felton/)

> [If you look at most mainstream filmmaking, to be honest, some of these films aren't even asking questions anymore at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karyn-kusama/if-you-look-at-most-mainstream-filmmaking-to-be-honest-some-of-these/)

[Karyn Kusama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karyn-kusama/)

> [To go beyond the mind, you must be silent and quiet. Peace and silence, silence and peace - this is the way beyond. Stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/to-go-beyond-the-mind-you-must-be-silent-and-quiet-peace-and-silence/)

[Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/)

> [“Asking questions is an opportunity for creativity and personal expression, both for the person asking and the person answering.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-salzberg/asking-questions-is-an-opportunity-for-creativity-and-personal/)

[Sharon Salzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-salzberg/)

> [In mathematics, the art of asking questions is more valuable than solving problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-cantor/in-mathematics-the-art-of-asking-questions-is-more-valuable-than/)

[Georg Cantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-cantor/)

> [I think all good architecture should challenge you, make you start asking questions. You don't have to understand it. You may not like it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-mayne/i-think-all-good-architecture-should-challenge-you-make-you-start/)

[Thom Mayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-mayne/)

> [“By this time it was well past midnight. You know how that is. It’s a time when you start asking questions about things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nickle/by-this-time-it-was-well-past-midnight-you-know-how-that-is-it-s-a/)

David Nickle

> [The first time I had a secretary, I was sheepish about being demanding or even asking questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bing-gordon/the-first-time-i-had-a-secretary-i-was-sheepish-about-being-demanding/)

[Bing Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bing-gordon/)

> [“Instead of seeking out communities that almost guarantee the potential for large successful churches, the best planters are asking questions like, “which are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-benesh/instead-of-seeking-out-communities-that-almost-guarantee-the/)

Sean Benesh

Browse all 480 Asking questions quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Sometimes Sarah would be up and about and when she saw Pete she would let something slip.He would walk into the kitchen to say hello and she would say, ‘Do you think whoever has him knows that he likes to read about space? Do you think they know he loves pasta but hates corn?’They were random questions. Pete tried to answer at first but then he realised that Sarah wasn’t really talking to him. She was simply voicing out loud the questions that went through her head every day, all day, tormenting her. 'Do they know he likes Vegemite toast for breakfast?’ ‘Do they know how he likes his scrambled eggs?’ ‘Are they making sure he has his milk every day?’ ‘Are they keeping him warm?’ ‘Are they being kind to him?’ ‘Is he going to school?’ ‘Do they know he hates to be tickled?’ ‘Are they hurting him? Are they hurting my little boy?’ What could he say to that? Pete said nothing. He hung his head and waited for her to stop asking questions.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Nicole Trope"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-trope/sometimes-sarah-would-be-up-and-about-and-when-she-saw-pete-she-would/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Asking questions"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-trope/sometimes-sarah-would-be-up-and-about-and-when-she-saw-pete-she-would/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1d/nicole-trope-12924_asking-questions_sometimes-sarah-would-be-up-and-about-an_2640813.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1d/nicole-trope-12924_asking-questions_sometimes-sarah-would-be-up-and-about-an_2640813.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1d/nicole-trope-12924_asking-questions_sometimes-sarah-would-be-up-and-about-an_2640813.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Sometimes Sarah would be up and about and when she saw Pete she would let something slip.He would walk into…” — Nicole Trope",
                "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": "Nicole Trope",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-trope/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Sometimes Sarah would be up and...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-trope/sometimes-sarah-would-be-up-and-about-and-when-she-saw-pete-she-would/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-trope/sometimes-sarah-would-be-up-and-about-and-when-she-saw-pete-she-would/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
