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Adulthood Quote by Seanan McGuire

“Children have always tumbled down rabbit holes, fallen through mirrors, been swept away by unseasonal floods or carried off by tornadoes. Children have always traveled, and because they are young and bright and full of contradictions, they haven’t always restricted their travel to the possible…” quote by Seanan McGuire
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““Children have always tumbled down rabbit holes, fallen through mirrors, been swept away by unseasonal floods or carried off by tornadoes. Children have always traveled, and because they are young and bright and full of contradictions, they haven’t always restricted their travel to the possible. Adulthood brings limitations like gravity and linear space and the idea that bedtime is a real thing, and not an artificially imposed curfew. Adults can still tumble down rabbit holes and into enchanted wardrobes, but it happens less and less with every year they live. Maybe this is a natural consequence of living in a world where being careful is a necessary survival trait, where logic wears away the potential for something bigger and better than the obvious. Childhood melts, and flights of fancy are replaced by rules. Tornados kill people: they don’t carry them off to magical worlds. Talking foxes are a sign of fever, not guides sent to start some grand adventure. But children, ah, children. Children follow the foxes, and open the wardrobes, and peek beneath the bridge. Children climb the walls and fall down the wells and run the razor’s edge of possibility until sometimes, just sometimes, the possible surrenders and shows them the way to go home.””

Seanan McGuire

About This Quote

Source Novel: Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire, 2016‑2022

Childhood imagination embraces impossible possibilities, while adulthood imposes practical limits that dim wonder.

In simple terms: Kids imagine magic; adults become practical.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate curiosity despite adult constraints.

Themes

imagination growth nostalgia adulthood possibility

Mood

reflective hopeful melancholic

Type

literary inspirational

When to use this quote

  • creative writing
  • teaching
  • parenting
  • career transitions
  • mental health therapy

Key Concepts

fantasy psychology developmental stages

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can you reclaim childlike wonder in daily life?
  • What limits do you accept that could be challenged?
A Different Perspective

Adult responsibilities can stifle creativity and risk‑taking.

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