Your thoughts on this quote

[Stranger]

It was Anderson Cooper discussing with Larry King on the day of Michael's memorial the death of his own father at age 10. Larry also lost his father at the age of nine and they were agreeing that for the rest of their lives they always felt something missing. Anyway this was the quote Anderson brought up:

"The fatheless child thinks all things possible and nothing is safe"

It came from the author Mary Gordon

I've been thinking about this as I grew up fatherless too (although mine was more a case of never having known him rather than losing him through death).

So is it true that I think anything is possible good or bad? I'm not sure to be honest, so was wondering what you all thought?

 

[TheEternalMoonwalker]

That's very interesting, I think.
I lost my father when I was 10 too and there is a feeling that something is definitely missing. I can't really describe what it is. It's very strange to imagine your life if your daddy would be alive.

Concerning the quote:
I'm not sure, what it really means. It can have different meanings in my opinion.

 

[strawberrypie999]

I don't really have any idea what that quote means. It seems to be really loaded! My father is still alive and living under the same roof as me, but my dad 'died' years ago when he had an affair and cheated on my mom and myself. (I always say my mom and myself because I feel like he cheated on us as family) As far as I am concerned the father he was died when he decided to go out and 'create' a new family behind our backs, and it has never been the same. I basically live my life without any fatherly role or guidance because I don't really want it from him any longer, but he is still alive.

I have read and re-read that quote over and over again and I just don't really get it. If I were to take a stab at what I thought it meant I would say, a child thinks that they can do anything but they feel that they are not safe doing anything because they have no father to protect them?

 

[Stranger]

"The fatherless child thinks all these possible and nothing safe"

My opinion: Fathers are associated with the strong male "protective" role. You know how people say "There's no place safer than in the arms of your father"..so without one, there is no one to protect you..no place to go where you can feel safe. Mothers are thought of as more nurturing and caring, who are there to talk and make you feel secure, but not safe.

And because you never think you could lose the"strong, male figure" in your life, when it happens you realise that actually, even they are not safe (hence, nothing is safe). So you begin to think that anything is possible. You know it is possible to lose anyone in your life. So all bad things are possible. All good things are possible too though, becuase there is no father to limit your imagination and you struggle more to acheive your dreams, whereas kids with fathers are more content with the way things are.

(I'm just generalising here, of course it doesnt apply to everyone.

 

[StaceyMJ]

I think it might mean that a child that grew up without a father feels like they are invincible? Like, they have a wreckless quality to them that comes from anger maybe. But they also have a vulnerability, and insecurities from not have a protective male role model in their lives? I hope that makes sense, that is how I saw it from being very close to someone who lost their father at 9 years old.

It's like a battle of extremes.