---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My youngest is 26, and so I hardly…"
description: "\"My youngest is 26, and so I hardly remember life not being a father, but my wife and I were hands on-parents.\" — Timothy B. Schmit"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/445/timothy-b-schmit-15424_father_my-youngest-is-26-and-so-i-hardly-rememb_1342675.jpg"
---

#  My youngest is 26, and so I hardly remember life not being…

![“My youngest is 26, and so I hardly remember life not being a father, but my wife and I were hands on-parents.” quote by Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/445/timothy-b-schmit-15424_father_my-youngest-is-26-and-so-i-hardly-rememb_1342675.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/445/timothy-b-schmit-15424_father_my-youngest-is-26-and-so-i-hardly-rememb_1342675.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/445/timothy-b-schmit-15424_father_my-youngest-is-26-and-so-i-hardly-rememb_1342675.jpg)

> “My youngest is 26, and so I hardly remember life not being a father, but my wife and I were hands on-parents.”

[Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/)

## About This Quote

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

Parenthood reshapes identity, making past non‑parent life feel distant.

**In simple terms:** Being a parent changes how you see yourself.

Key Takeaway

Embrace new role.

Themes

identity parenthood memory

Mood

nostalgic thoughtful

Type

reflective philosophical

When to use this quote

- career planning
- relationship counseling
- life stage adjustment

Key Concepts

role transition family dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- How has fatherhood altered your priorities?
- What parts of your past self remain valuable?

A Different Perspective

Nostalgia may idealize pre‑parent life.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Wife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wife/)

## Related quotes

> [“I can hardly remember anything from that old, old life, except that Albert was sick. He’ll be well again once he has some wine.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liesl-shurtliff/i-can-hardly-remember-anything-from-that-old-old-life-except-that/)

[Liesl Shurtliff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liesl-shurtliff/)

> [“But I can hardly remember what it felt like. It's like everything that happens to you. It doesn't feel real.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-faulks/but-i-can-hardly-remember-what-it-felt-like-it-s-like-everything-that/)

[Sebastian Faulks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-faulks/)

> [Most of us have very clear memories of the self-critical internal conversation running on in our heads while we were playing poorly, and yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-green/most-of-us-have-very-clear-memories-of-the-self-critical-internal/)

Barry Green

> [“I could hardly remember that the world had ever been anything but dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/i-could-hardly-remember-that-the-world-had-ever-been-anything-but-dead/)

[Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/)

> [I hardly ever remember my dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-blackburn/i-hardly-ever-remember-my-dreams/)

[Tyler Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-blackburn/)

> [You were so important to me and now I can hardly remember you...funny how things change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-were-so-important-to-me-and-now-i-can-hardly-remember-you-funny/)

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

> [I hardly remember how I started to write poetry. It's hard to imagine what I thought poetry could do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-antin/i-hardly-remember-how-i-started-to-write-poetry-it-s-hard-to-imagine/)

[David Antin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-antin/)

> [I take so little interest in my daily life, that I hardly remember to eat and drink.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/i-take-so-little-interest-in-my-daily-life-that-i-hardly-remember-to/)

[Emily Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/)

> [Near the end of his life, my father proved to be, at his core, a very polite, chivalrous man. He walked the halls of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-knox/near-the-end-of-his-life-my-father-proved-to-be-at-his-core-a-very/)

Jennifer L. Knox

> [For many little girls, life with father is a dress rehearsal for love and marriage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/for-many-little-girls-life-with-father-is-a-dress-rehearsal-for-love/)

[David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/)

> [My life is an apology for the life of my father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-cashore/my-life-is-an-apology-for-the-life-of-my-father/)

[Kristin Cashore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-cashore/)

> [The purpose of my life is being a father to my kids and being a husband to my wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/the-purpose-of-my-life-is-being-a-father-to-my-kids-and-being-a/)

[Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/)

> [Why are you measuring? This is how you block, delay, hinder, obstruct and deny his place in the life as a father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iyanla-vanzant/why-are-you-measuring-this-is-how-you-block-delay-hinder-obstruct-and/)

[Iyanla Vanzant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iyanla-vanzant/)

> [“To live the same family life as his father and forefathers—that is, in the same condition of culture—and to bring up his children in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/to-live-the-same-family-life-as-his-father-and-forefathers-that-is-in/)

[Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/)

> [“You can't change other people. You can only change yourself. Everyone's got problems. You learn from them, you live with them, you move on.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorraine-bracco/you-can-t-change-other-people-you-can-only-change-yourself-everyone-s/)

[Lorraine Bracco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorraine-bracco/)

## More by Timothy B. Schmit

> [I was playing surf music with my band when a girlfriend of mine who had come from Los Angeles took me to a James…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/i-was-playing-surf-music-with-my-band-when-a-girlfriend-of-mine-who/)

[Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/)

> [I probably learned most of my craft from singing to the radio.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/i-probably-learned-most-of-my-craft-from-singing-to-the-radio/)

[Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/)

> [When I was about 13 or 14. I was in a Kingston Trio type group. We evolved into the New Breed. Our first song…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/when-i-was-about-13-or-14-i-was-in-a-kingston-trio-type-group-we/)

[Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/)

> [I've had a lot of people pass away in my life. I guess it's all a matter of how you deal with your mortality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/i-ve-had-a-lot-of-people-pass-away-in-my-life-i-guess-it-s-all-a/)

[Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/)

> [I'm good at fitting in, and I think I'm fairly perceptive about moods and psychic environments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/i-m-good-at-fitting-in-and-i-think-i-m-fairly-perceptive-about-moods/)

[Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/)

> [Jazz doesn't have much to do with how I write songs, but I am a big fan. My favorites are Oscar Peterson, Ahmad Jamal,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/jazz-doesn-t-have-much-to-do-with-how-i-write-songs-but-i-am-a-big/)

[Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/)

> [I traveled a lot, but we didn't hire nannies to take care of our kids. We were both very hands-on. My wife did the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/i-traveled-a-lot-but-we-didn-t-hire-nannies-to-take-care-of-our-kids/)

[Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/)

> [I do not run my band like The Eagles, for sure. I've never had to be heavy handed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/i-do-not-run-my-band-like-the-eagles-for-sure-i-ve-never-had-to-be/)

[Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/)

> [Working solo means you don't have to account for anybody else. You do it yourself, so you're not trying to please others as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/working-solo-means-you-don-t-have-to-account-for-anybody-else-you-do/)

[Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/)

> [People would call me up because they liked my voice, and they wanted some kind of vocal harmony. Sometimes I was asked to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/people-would-call-me-up-because-they-liked-my-voice-and-they-wanted/)

[Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/)

> [I didn't really think too much about being any kind of pioneer. The truth is, I actually kind of caught onto a couple of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/i-didn-t-really-think-too-much-about-being-any-kind-of-pioneer-the/)

[Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/)

> [Although I was writing songs when I was younger, I didn't feel I had much of a clue as to what I was doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/although-i-was-writing-songs-when-i-was-younger-i-didn-t-feel-i-had/)

[Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/)

> [I grew up around music. My father was a professional musician. We used to have a trailer house that we travelled in. I've always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/i-grew-up-around-music-my-father-was-a-professional-musician-we-used/)

[Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/)

> [I play some places where the people are right at my feet, and you can see their expressions. It's kind of more like playing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/i-play-some-places-where-the-people-are-right-at-my-feet-and-you-can/)

[Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/)

> [Music's always been a big part of my life. Because of my father, I was always surrounded by music and musicians, and in school,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/music-s-always-been-a-big-part-of-my-life-because-of-my-father-i-was/)

[Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/)

[Explore all 43 Timothy B. Schmit quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/)

## More Father quotes

> [Whatever meaning 'Annie's Song' had for me on a personal level, there was also a larger context. It could just as easily have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-denver/whatever-meaning-annie-s-song-had-for-me-on-a-personal-level-there/)

[John Denver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-denver/)

> [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/)

[Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/)

> [(knitting while on a motorcycle) "For several years she knitted in secret (my father would not approve; she was to concentrate on motorcycling and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-zimmermann/knitting-while-on-a-motorcycle-for-several-years-she-knitted-in/)

[Elizabeth Zimmermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-zimmermann/)

> [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/)

[Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/)

> [My parents were not musical, and they were not effervescent people; everything was very quiet. The music that I played was loud; it used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-mclean/my-parents-were-not-musical-and-they-were-not-effervescent-people/)

[Don McLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-mclean/)

> [“My father called twice and left a voicemail—who does that?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-erickson/my-father-called-twice-and-left-a-voicemail-who-does-that/)

[Megan Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-erickson/)

> [My father longed for a better life for us, and when I was nine he got a job as a heart surgeon in Belfast.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-melua/my-father-longed-for-a-better-life-for-us-and-when-i-was-nine-he-got/)

[Katie Melua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-melua/)

> [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/)

[Liza Soberano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-soberano/)

> [The old men of the village of Mahotière say that the Mistress of the Water is a mulatto woman. At midnight she comes out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/the-old-men-of-the-village-of-mahoti-re-say-that-the-mistress-of-the/)

[Jacques Roumain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-roumain/)

> [“I don’t know. We all have to bear things, Ari. All of us. Your father has to bear the war and what it did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-know-we-all-have-to-bear-things-ari-all-of-us-your-father-has/)

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

> [“This was, I sometimes thought, the last gift my father gave me. And the best: His death stood out as the supreme-o excuse for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-stahl/this-was-i-sometimes-thought-the-last-gift-my-father-gave-me-and-the/)

[Jerry Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-stahl/)

> [My father was very encouraging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-nutini/my-father-was-very-encouraging/)

[Paolo Nutini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-nutini/)

> [I'm a strange mixture of my mother's curiosity; my father, who grew up the son of the manse in a Presbyterian family, who had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/i-m-a-strange-mixture-of-my-mother-s-curiosity-my-father-who-grew-up/)

[Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/)

> [It is a sweet thing that we serve a dissatisfied God who has destinations in mind for us that we would never choose for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-david-tripp/it-is-a-sweet-thing-that-we-serve-a-dissatisfied-god-who-has/)

[Paul David Tripp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-david-tripp/)

> [Liesel observed the strangeness of her foster father's eyes. They were made of kindness, and silver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/liesel-observed-the-strangeness-of-her-foster-father-s-eyes-they-were/)

[Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/)

[Browse all 19,784 Father quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "My youngest is 26, and so I hardly remember life not being a father, but my wife and I were hands on-parents.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Timothy B. Schmit"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/my-youngest-is-26-and-so-i-hardly-remember-life-not-being-a-father/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Father"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/my-youngest-is-26-and-so-i-hardly-remember-life-not-being-a-father/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/445/timothy-b-schmit-15424_father_my-youngest-is-26-and-so-i-hardly-rememb_1342675.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/445/timothy-b-schmit-15424_father_my-youngest-is-26-and-so-i-hardly-rememb_1342675.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/445/timothy-b-schmit-15424_father_my-youngest-is-26-and-so-i-hardly-rememb_1342675.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“My youngest is 26, and so I hardly remember life not being a father, but my wife and I were hands on-parents.” — Timothy B. Schmit",
                "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": "Timothy B. Schmit",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "My youngest is 26, and so...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/my-youngest-is-26-and-so-i-hardly-remember-life-not-being-a-father/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/my-youngest-is-26-and-so-i-hardly-remember-life-not-being-a-father/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
