--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Marlboro Man returned home late that…" description: "\"“Marlboro Man returned home late that afternoon and came into the bedroom, eating a chocolate chip cookie along the way. The baby and I had just woken ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b2/ree-drummond-818_baby_marlboro-man-returned-home-late-that-aft_2622722.jpg" --- # Marlboro Man returned home late that afternoon and came… ![“Marlboro Man returned home late that afternoon and came into the bedroom, eating a chocolate chip cookie along the way. The baby and I had just woken up from a two-hour nap, and he plopped down on the bed next to us. Without speaking, he stroked her little head with his index finger. I watched him…” quote by Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b2/ree-drummond-818_baby_marlboro-man-returned-home-late-that-aft_2622722.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b2/ree-drummond-818_baby_marlboro-man-returned-home-late-that-aft_2622722.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b2/ree-drummond-818_baby_marlboro-man-returned-home-late-that-aft_2622722.jpg) > ““Marlboro Man returned home late that afternoon and came into the bedroom, eating a chocolate chip cookie along the way. The baby and I had just woken up from a two-hour nap, and he plopped down on the bed next to us. Without speaking, he stroked her little head with his index finger. I watched him the entire time; his eyes never left her. The room was quiet; the whole house was, in fact. Betsy must have gone out to the laundry room to switch loads. Without thinking, my arm found its way over to him and draped across his back. It was the first time I’d so much as touched him since I’d come home from the hospital. He glanced at me, flashed a faint smile, and draped his arm over my middle…and, magically, blessedly, the three of us fell back asleep--Marlboro Man in his mud-stained clothes, me in my milk-stained pajamas, and our perfect little child resting peacefully between our bodies.”” [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A tender moment shows how simple physical closeness can restore intimacy and peace after a stressful day. **In simple terms:** Touch renews connection and calm. Key Takeaway Embrace small gestures of affection. Themes family intimacy parenthood comfort Mood warm reflective Type personal narrative emotional When to use this quote - new parents - post‑hospital recovery - quiet evenings Key Concepts attachment mindfulness presence Questions to Reflect On - How can brief physical contact deepen trust? - What daily habits nurture familial calm? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Asleep Marlboro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asleep-marlboro-2122722/) [Baby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baby/) [Bedroom Eating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bedroom-eating-2122723/) [Came Bedroom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/came-bedroom-1973108/) [Chocolate Chip Cookie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chocolate-chip-cookie/) [First time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-time/) [Laundry Room](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laundry-room/) [Marlboro Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marlboro-man/) [Returned Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/returned-home-288954/) ## Related quotes > [“I awoke early the next morning to the sound of my phone ringing. My phone had rung so much over the past twenty-four hours,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/i-awoke-early-the-next-morning-to-the-sound-of-my-phone-ringing-my/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“He called the next morning at seven. I was sound asleep, still dreaming about the kiss that had rocked my existence the night before.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/he-called-the-next-morning-at-seven-i-was-sound-asleep-still-dreaming/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“Vi?" Jag's soft voice called from the other room. I'd been soaking so long, the water in the tub was cold. I stepped out,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elana-johnson/vi-jag-s-soft-voice-called-from-the-other-room-i-d-been-soaking-so/) [Elana Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elana-johnson/) > [“My courtship with Marlboro Man, filled with fizzy romance, hadn’t prepared me for any of this; not the mice I heard scratching in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/my-courtship-with-marlboro-man-filled-with-fizzy-romance-hadn-t/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“In the meantime, I tried my best to acclimate to my new life in the middle of nowhere. I had to get used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/in-the-meantime-i-tried-my-best-to-acclimate-to-my-new-life-in-the/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [We have gone forth from our shores repeatedly over the last hundred years and we've done this as recently as the last year in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/we-have-gone-forth-from-our-shores-repeatedly-over-the-last-hundred/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [I went away, dear Agnes, loving you. I stayed away, loving you. I returned home, loving you!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-went-away-dear-agnes-loving-you-i-stayed-away-loving-you-i-returned/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [Soon after, I returned home to my family, with a determination to bring them as soon as possible to live in Kentucky, which I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-boone/soon-after-i-returned-home-to-my-family-with-a-determination-to-bring/) [Daniel Boone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-boone/) > [I don't know the numbers, but roughly half of the people who came through Ellis Island returned home. They came here to make money,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandar-hemon/i-don-t-know-the-numbers-but-roughly-half-of-the-people-who-came/) [Aleksandar Hemon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandar-hemon/) > [One of the greatest injustices of the Vietnam era is the way our veterans were treated when they returned home. This compounded the pain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-schneider/one-of-the-greatest-injustices-of-the-vietnam-era-is-the-way-our/) [Brad Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-schneider/) > [“Counting on each other became automatic. When I found a sweater in Texas I wanted, I learned to buy two, which was easier than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-caldwell/counting-on-each-other-became-automatic-when-i-found-a-sweater-in/) [Gail Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-caldwell/) > [“But when Kate returned home he was gone. Back to the video camera that had recorded her. Back to his unexplainable office. Back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pavone/but-when-kate-returned-home-he-was-gone-back-to-the-video-camera-that/) [Chris Pavone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pavone/) > [I read the Odyssey because it was the story of a man who returned home after being absent for more than twenty years and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-cabrera-infante/i-read-the-odyssey-because-it-was-the-story-of-a-man-who-returned/) [Guillermo Cabrera Infante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-cabrera-infante/) > [“Returned home for dinner and dined alone—the countess had many visitors I do not like. I ate and drank moderately and after dinner copied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/returned-home-for-dinner-and-dined-alone-the-countess-had-many/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Most of the people - either returned home to the south or found housing near the shelter they were staying at](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-green/most-of-the-people-either-returned-home-to-the-south-or-found-housing/) [Tom Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-green/) ## More by Ree Drummond > [“What else haven’t you told me?” I thought for a minute. “Actually, yes…there is,” I replied, pausing to consider my words carefully, “I eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/what-else-haven-t-you-told-me-i-thought-for-a-minute-actually-yes/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [Butter, cream, and bacon. That's such a great foundation right there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/butter-cream-and-bacon-that-s-such-a-great-foundation-right-there/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“More and more, I began helping around the homestead. I learned to operate my John Deere mower so I could keep the yard around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/more-and-more-i-began-helping-around-the-homestead-i-learned-to/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“I walked proudly out of the church, the new wife of Marlboro Man. When we exited the same doors through which my dad and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/i-walked-proudly-out-of-the-church-the-new-wife-of-marlboro-man-when/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“When we arrived at the wedding at Marlboro Man’s grandparents’ house, I gasped. People were absolutely everywhere: scurrying and mingling and sipping champagne and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/when-we-arrived-at-the-wedding-at-marlboro-man-s-grandparents-house-i/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“What is it?” I asked, pasting a magazine photo of a football--found in an old Seventeen magazine spread--on my beloved’s collage. “Well, a bunch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/what-is-it-i-asked-pasting-a-magazine-photo-of-a-football-found-in-an/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“When I arrived, I immediately saw the mother of an ex-boyfriend, the kind of ex-boyfriend that would make you want to look as good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/when-i-arrived-i-immediately-saw-the-mother-of-an-ex-boyfriend-the/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“At times the differences concerned me. Could I ever be with a man who’d never, in his entire life, eaten sushi? Could I, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/at-times-the-differences-concerned-me-could-i-ever-be-with-a-man-who/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“You did not do my homework assignment for me,” he said, grabbing the collage again and looking it over. “I had insomnia,” I said.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/you-did-not-do-my-homework-assignment-for-me-he-said-grabbing-the/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“I couldn’t bear the thought of a ham sandwich. Imagining milk trickling down my esophagus almost sent me over the edge. Even the saltines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/i-couldn-t-bear-the-thought-of-a-ham-sandwich-imagining-milk/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“Marlboro Man picked me up the next evening, exactly one month before our wedding day. Our evening apart had made the heart grow fonder,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/marlboro-man-picked-me-up-the-next-evening-exactly-one-month-before/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“I’ll send the nurse in here in a minute, okay?” Waste of time , I thought. “Okay, but…do you think there’s anything we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/i-ll-send-the-nurse-in-here-in-a-minute-okay-waste-of-time-i-thought/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“How come I wasn’t riding around in his middle seat? Was I supposed to initiate this? Was this expected of me? Because I probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/how-come-i-wasn-t-riding-around-in-his-middle-seat-was-i-supposed-to/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“I’ll see you in the morning. Oh, and hey…if I don’t answer the door right away it probably means I’m doing some weight training…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/i-ll-see-you-in-the-morning-oh-and-hey-if-i-don-t-answer-the-door/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“Minutes later, we were back at the sliding glass door that led inside the house--me, leaning against the glass, Marlboro Man anchoring me there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/minutes-later-we-were-back-at-the-sliding-glass-door-that-led-inside/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) [Explore all 361 Ree Drummond quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) ## More Baby quotes > [I would have done well as a gypsy child, I think. A circus baby. I coulda played a great street urchin or ragamuffin. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/i-would-have-done-well-as-a-gypsy-child-i-think-a-circus-baby-i/) [Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/) > [“I looked down into my baby’s beautiful green eyes and ached inside. She looked up at me with wide-eyed innocence. I kissed her warm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-forrest/i-looked-down-into-my-baby-s-beautiful-green-eyes-and-ached-inside/) [Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) > [I've retired my sneakers for stilettos, baby!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivica-a-fox/i-ve-retired-my-sneakers-for-stilettos-baby/) [Vivica A. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivica-a-fox/) > [I didn't expect to be so comfortable handing my child off to a nanny without getting any of her information. As soon as she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-wong/i-didn-t-expect-to-be-so-comfortable-handing-my-child-off-to-a-nanny/) [Ali Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-wong/) > [And I gave you my all, now baby be mine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashanti/and-i-gave-you-my-all-now-baby-be-mine/) [Ashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashanti/) > [Parents who are stressed or disturbed will have more difficulty in meeting their children's needs. Parents who have little support--from friends, relatives, neighbors, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-kamerman/parents-who-are-stressed-or-disturbed-will-have-more-difficulty-in/) [Sheila Kamerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-kamerman/) > [Shhh.” He put a finger to her lips. “Hear me out. I cannot deny that I would've liked to have made babies with you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hoyt/shhh-he-put-a-finger-to-her-lips-hear-me-out-i-cannot-deny-that-i/) [Elizabeth Hoyt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hoyt/) > [I'm so happy baby.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashanti/i-m-so-happy-baby/) [Ashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashanti/) > [Weezy F. Baby. F. is fo' finisha:)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-wayne/weezy-f-baby-f-is-fo-finisha/) [Lil Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-wayne/) > [Baby, I love you. We argue about the stupidest shit then we turn around and laugh about it. I'm obsessed with you and you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsay/baby-i-love-you-we-argue-about-the-stupidest-shit-then-we-turn-around/) [Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsay/) > [My dad's Israeli. He was born in Baghdad to Iraqi Jews. Then, at age two, his parents wanted to move to their homeland and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-yamin/my-dad-s-israeli-he-was-born-in-baghdad-to-iraqi-jews-then-at-age-two/) [Elliott Yamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-yamin/) > [Michael Jackson has a new baby boy; no word yet who the father is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/michael-jackson-has-a-new-baby-boy-no-word-yet-who-the-father-is/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [I always wondered why babies spend so much time sucking their thumbs. Then I tasted baby food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-orben/i-always-wondered-why-babies-spend-so-much-time-sucking-their-thumbs/) [Robert Orben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-orben/) > [If all fooles had babies, wee should want fuell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/if-all-fooles-had-babies-wee-should-want-fuell/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [My baby girl Bella is growing up so fast I remember when she was soo tiny, it shows how much she has been loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crystal/my-baby-girl-bella-is-growing-up-so-fast-i-remember-when-she-was-soo/) [Crystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crystal/) [Browse all 5,822 Baby quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baby/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Marlboro Man returned home late that afternoon and came into the bedroom, eating a chocolate chip cookie along the way. The baby and I had just woken up from a two-hour nap, and he plopped down on the bed next to us. Without speaking, he stroked her little head with his index finger. I watched him the entire time; his eyes never left her. The room was quiet; the whole house was, in fact. Betsy must have gone out to the laundry room to switch loads. Without thinking, my arm found its way over to him and draped across his back. It was the first time I’d so much as touched him since I’d come home from the hospital. He glanced at me, flashed a faint smile, and draped his arm over my middle…and, magically, blessedly, the three of us fell back asleep--Marlboro Man in his mud-stained clothes, me in my milk-stained pajamas, and our perfect little child resting peacefully between our bodies.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ree Drummond" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/marlboro-man-returned-home-late-that-afternoon-and-came-into-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Baby" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/marlboro-man-returned-home-late-that-afternoon-and-came-into-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b2/ree-drummond-818_baby_marlboro-man-returned-home-late-that-aft_2622722.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b2/ree-drummond-818_baby_marlboro-man-returned-home-late-that-aft_2622722.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b2/ree-drummond-818_baby_marlboro-man-returned-home-late-that-aft_2622722.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Marlboro Man returned home late that afternoon and came into the bedroom, eating a chocolate chip cookie…” — Ree Drummond", "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": "Ree Drummond", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Marlboro Man returned home late that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/marlboro-man-returned-home-late-that-afternoon-and-came-into-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/marlboro-man-returned-home-late-that-afternoon-and-came-into-the/#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 } } ] } ```