--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Mama, how come Captain Winston’s hair can…" description: "\"“Mama, how come Captain Winston’s hair can touch his collar and mine can’t?” Jake eyed her, wondering how she was going to respond. “Because Captain Wi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/819/tamera-alexander-13112_every-day_mama-how-come-captain-winston-s-hair-can_1060103.jpg" --- # Mama, how come Captain Winston’s hair can touch his collar… ![“Mama, how come Captain Winston’s hair can touch his collar and mine can’t?” Jake eyed her, wondering how she was going to respond. “Because Captain Winston is a grown man, Andrew. And grown men can decide for themselves how long they want their hair to be.” Andrew frowned as he climbed down from…” quote by Tamera Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/819/tamera-alexander-13112_every-day_mama-how-come-captain-winston-s-hair-can_1060103.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/819/tamera-alexander-13112_every-day_mama-how-come-captain-winston-s-hair-can_1060103.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/819/tamera-alexander-13112_every-day_mama-how-come-captain-winston-s-hair-can_1060103.jpg) > ““Mama, how come Captain Winston’s hair can touch his collar and mine can’t?” Jake eyed her, wondering how she was going to respond. “Because Captain Winston is a grown man, Andrew. And grown men can decide for themselves how long they want their hair to be.” Andrew frowned as he climbed down from the stool. “But boys with mamas can’t?” Jake could tell Aletta was trying not to smile. “That’s right. Once you’re older, then you can decide for yourself how long you want your hair to be.” Andrew seemed to let that settle in, then turned to Jake. “Has your mama died, Captain Winston?” Jake nodded. “Yes, Andrew. She has.” “Your papa too?” “Yes,” he answered softly. “And my only brother.” “Do you miss ’em?” “Every day.” “I miss my papa too.” Andrew bowed his head. Jake knelt beside him. “You know, as the years have passed, I can still feel my family with me. In here.” Jake touched the place over his heart. “Just like you’ll do with your papa . . . who was a very wise and good man. And you’ll grow up to be just like him someday.” Without warning, Andrew launched himself at him, and Jake hugged him close, the little boy’s arms around his neck about the best thing he could ever remember feeling. “It’s going to be okay, buddy.” “You promise?” Andrew whispered against his neck. “I promise,” Jake whispered back, praying he could be part of keeping that promise in the boy’s life.”” [Tamera Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamera-alexander/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A child learns that adulthood brings autonomy, even in grief, and that shared sorrow can foster comfort and promise. **In simple terms:** Adults decide for themselves; children find comfort in shared grief. Key Takeaway Respect growth, offer empathy, keep promises. Themes grief growth empathy Mood empathetic somber Type narrative inspirational When to use this quote - counseling - parenting - friendship - grief support Key Concepts coming of age family loss support Questions to Reflect On - How can we support grieving children? - What promises are realistic in trauma? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex emotional development. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Good man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-man/) ## Related quotes > [“Jake,” she whispered. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking since yesterday and—” She looked down. “I think it was a mistake. You and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamera-alexander/jake-she-whispered-i-ve-been-doing-a-lot-of-thinking-since-yesterday/) [Tamera Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamera-alexander/) > [“Beautiful,” Jake whispered. “The pictures could never hold you. 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And grown men can decide for themselves how long they want their hair to be.” Andrew frowned as he climbed down from the stool. “But boys with mamas can’t?” Jake could tell Aletta was trying not to smile. “That’s right. Once you’re older, then you can decide for yourself how long you want your hair to be.” Andrew seemed to let that settle in, then turned to Jake. “Has your mama died, Captain Winston?” Jake nodded. “Yes, Andrew. She has.” “Your papa too?” “Yes,” he answered softly. “And my only brother.” “Do you miss ’em?” “Every day.” “I miss my papa too.” Andrew bowed his head. Jake knelt beside him. “You know, as the years have passed, I can still feel my family with me. In here.” Jake touched the place over his heart. “Just like you’ll do with your papa . . . who was a very wise and good man. And you’ll grow up to be just like him someday.” Without warning, Andrew launched himself at him, and Jake hugged him close, the little boy’s arms around his neck about the best thing he could ever remember feeling. “It’s going to be okay, buddy.” “You promise?” Andrew whispered against his neck. “I promise,” Jake whispered back, praying he could be part of keeping that promise in the boy’s life.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tamera Alexander" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamera-alexander/mama-how-come-captain-winston-s-hair-can-touch-his-collar-and-mine/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Every day" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamera-alexander/mama-how-come-captain-winston-s-hair-can-touch-his-collar-and-mine/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/819/tamera-alexander-13112_every-day_mama-how-come-captain-winston-s-hair-can_1060103.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/819/tamera-alexander-13112_every-day_mama-how-come-captain-winston-s-hair-can_1060103.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/819/tamera-alexander-13112_every-day_mama-how-come-captain-winston-s-hair-can_1060103.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Mama, how come Captain Winston’s hair can touch his collar and mine can’t?” Jake eyed her, wondering how she…” — Tamera Alexander", "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": "Tamera Alexander", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamera-alexander/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Mama, how come Captain Winston’s hair...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamera-alexander/mama-how-come-captain-winston-s-hair-can-touch-his-collar-and-mine/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamera-alexander/mama-how-come-captain-winston-s-hair-can-touch-his-collar-and-mine/#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 } } ] } ```