--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My mom promised herself that when she…" description: "\"My mom promised herself that when she could afford a fur coat, she'd buy one, to take pleasure in what had been only labor in her childhood. But by the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26d/torrey-peters-6000_childhood_my-mom-promised-herself-that-when-she-co_1500130.jpg" --- # My mom promised herself that when she could afford a fur… ![“My mom promised herself that when she could afford a fur coat, she'd buy one, to take pleasure in what had been only labor in her childhood. But by the 1990s, when she could afford it, fur coats had become suspect.” quote by Torrey Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26d/torrey-peters-6000_childhood_my-mom-promised-herself-that-when-she-co_1500130.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26d/torrey-peters-6000_childhood_my-mom-promised-herself-that-when-she-co_1500130.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26d/torrey-peters-6000_childhood_my-mom-promised-herself-that-when-she-co_1500130.jpg) > “My mom promised herself that when she could afford a fur coat, she'd buy one, to take pleasure in what had been only labor in her childhood. But by the 1990s, when she could afford it, fur coats had become suspect.” [Torrey Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torrey-peters/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A mother’s desire for a luxury she once lacked clashes with changing social values, turning a personal reward into a moral dilemma. **In simple terms:** A mother wants a fur coat, but it later feels wrong. Key Takeaway Weigh personal wishes against evolving ethics. Themes family consumerism ethics identity social change Mood conflicted reflective Type personal ethical When to use this quote - gift buying - fashion choices - intergenerational expectations - social activism Key Concepts material desire cultural shift personal fulfillment Questions to Reflect On - Do you prioritize personal desire over societal perception? - How do changing norms affect your aspirations? A Different Perspective The coat may symbolize status more than personal joy, limiting its satisfaction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [1990S Afford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/1990s-afford-5497439/) [Afford Fur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afford-fur-5497438/) [Childhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/childhood/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Fur Coat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fur-coat-1252214/) [Fur coats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fur-coats/) [Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/) [Mom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mom/) [Mom Promised](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mom-promised-1052251/) [Only](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/only/) [She](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/she/) ## Related quotes > [I wear a lot of boyish stuff, but I prefer to throw a fur coat on top just for the hell of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mackenzie-davis/i-wear-a-lot-of-boyish-stuff-but-i-prefer-to-throw-a-fur-coat-on-top/) [Mackenzie Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mackenzie-davis/) > [There were some times when we did the winter scenes in the summer, and I had to wear that silly fur coat. Oh, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-farr/there-were-some-times-when-we-did-the-winter-scenes-in-the-summer-and/) [Jamie Farr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-farr/) > [We have in my country (Russia) a quotation: "It is impossible to make out of apology a fur coat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-malamud/we-have-in-my-country-russia-a-quotation-it-is-impossible-to-make-out/) [Bernard Malamud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-malamud/) > [Don't wear fur! Did you know, a single fur coat takes fifteen trees, just for the protest signs?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/don-t-wear-fur-did-you-know-a-single-fur-coat-takes-fifteen-trees/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) > [So...I'm larking through the Baby Gap, looking at tiny capri pants and sweaters that cost more than ... I don't know,more than they should.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/so-i-m-larking-through-the-baby-gap-looking-at-tiny-capri-pants-and/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [And the Russians certainly don't have it. If a woman shows up in a fur coat, I just assume she's a crook. And that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-dyson/and-the-russians-certainly-don-t-have-it-if-a-woman-shows-up-in-a-fur/) [Esther Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-dyson/) > [I don't know what I feel about wearing my furs anymore. 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She was all over this hunk of Navajo manhood and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-jones/mom-i-promised-to-behave-it-wasn-t-easy-i-mean-she-couldn-t-help/) [Carrie Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-jones/) > [We're fighters. Stop worrying about showing up in a fur coat. Get out of here with that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benson-henderson/we-re-fighters-stop-worrying-about-showing-up-in-a-fur-coat-get-out/) [Benson Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benson-henderson/) > [“Depression's like a big fur coat/ It's made of dead things but it keeps me warm.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/icon-for-hire/depression-s-like-a-big-fur-coat-it-s-made-of-dead-things-but-it/) [Icon for Hire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/icon-for-hire/) > [I think the reality is that, for me, real fur is extraordinarily old fashioned. I think you look old. Even if you're 20, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-mccartney/i-think-the-reality-is-that-for-me-real-fur-is-extraordinarily-old/) [Stella McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-mccartney/) > [It's so cold I saw a snowman wearing a fur coat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bakerbuddy/it-s-so-cold-i-saw-a-snowman-wearing-a-fur-coat/) [Bakerbuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bakerbuddy/) > [“Bump stood in the middle of the room, wrapped in a heavy fur coat, with a black silk top hatcovering his fuzzy head and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacia-kane/bump-stood-in-the-middle-of-the-room-wrapped-in-a-heavy-fur-coat-with/) [Stacia Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacia-kane/) ## More by Torrey Peters > [The premise of any discussion I have is not to debate my humanity. I refuse to engage on that level. It makes for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torrey-peters/the-premise-of-any-discussion-i-have-is-not-to-debate-my-humanity-i/) [Torrey Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torrey-peters/) > [People don't care about facts anyway; in my country, we have 'alternative facts.' But if you can make somebody feel something - and oftentimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torrey-peters/people-don-t-care-about-facts-anyway-in-my-country-we-have/) [Torrey Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torrey-peters/) > [The fact that someone like me can exist terrifies some people. 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There are some people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torrey-peters/at-certain-moments-in-my-life-i-have-stumbled-upon-a-beauty-so/) [Torrey Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torrey-peters/) > [I'm obsessed with this book 'Independent People,' by Halldor Laxness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torrey-peters/i-m-obsessed-with-this-book-independent-people-by-halldor-laxness/) [Torrey Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torrey-peters/) > [It's not just unexpected for other people. It's very unexpected for myself. But I think that's like a really good place to write from,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torrey-peters/it-s-not-just-unexpected-for-other-people-it-s-very-unexpected-for/) [Torrey Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torrey-peters/) > [When I'm open to beauty's true power, I believe it changes me for the better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torrey-peters/when-i-m-open-to-beauty-s-true-power-i-believe-it-changes-me-for-the/) [Torrey Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torrey-peters/) > [People are going to make mistakes no matter what because that's what being human is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torrey-peters/people-are-going-to-make-mistakes-no-matter-what-because-that-s-what/) [Torrey Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torrey-peters/) > [I mean, I don't relate to characters who are perfect. If someone offers up somebody as a role model, I'm going to be like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torrey-peters/i-mean-i-don-t-relate-to-characters-who-are-perfect-if-someone-offers/) [Torrey Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torrey-peters/) > [At the time that 'Detransition, Baby' came out, I was really resistant to having anybody say that I was representing trans women. Because there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torrey-peters/at-the-time-that-detransition-baby-came-out-i-was-really-resistant-to/) [Torrey Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torrey-peters/) > [I'm from the Midwest, and I was raised a boy. If you told my 17-year-old self that when you turn 40, you're going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torrey-peters/i-m-from-the-midwest-and-i-was-raised-a-boy-if-you-told-my-17-year/) [Torrey Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torrey-peters/) [Explore all 100 Torrey Peters quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torrey-peters/) ## More Childhood quotes > [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/) [Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/) > [“From childhood’s hour I have not been As others were—I have not seen As others saw—I could not bring My passions from a common…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/from-childhood-s-hour-i-have-not-been-as-others-were-i-have-not-seen/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [We were so poor as kids. I didn't even see a bathtub, running water, hot water, commode - we didn't have any of that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/we-were-so-poor-as-kids-i-didn-t-even-see-a-bathtub-running-water-hot/) [Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/) > [I had a rough upbringing. Group homes. Foster homes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-shamrock/i-had-a-rough-upbringing-group-homes-foster-homes/) [Frank Shamrock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-shamrock/) > [When I talk about my childhood I used to say it as if it was scripted and I'd make jokes because it was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-katona/when-i-talk-about-my-childhood-i-used-to-say-it-as-if-it-was-scripted/) [Kerry Katona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-katona/) > [Every man remembers his childhood as a kind of mythical age, just as every nation's childhood is its mythical age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-leopardi/every-man-remembers-his-childhood-as-a-kind-of-mythical-age-just-as/) [Giacomo Leopardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-leopardi/) > [It's a very familiar type of place where people either go to their house on the lake or they get together in different places.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/it-s-a-very-familiar-type-of-place-where-people-either-go-to-their/) [Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/) > [Ideal for the child and society in the best of times, Rudolf Steiner's brilliant process of education is critically needed and profoundly relevant now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-chilton-pearce/ideal-for-the-child-and-society-in-the-best-of-times-rudolf-steiner-s/) [Joseph Chilton Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-chilton-pearce/) > [Downstairs in my house, I have a museum room. 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