Robin Wall Kimmerer
Robin Wall Kimmerer is a Potawatomi botanist, professor and author of Braiding Sweetgrass (2013), known for blending Indigenous knowledge with plant science.
5 quotes in this collection. Read them below, share your favourites, or follow the related links to explore similar voices.
All quotes by Robin Wall Kimmerer
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“It is the fundamental unfairness of parenthood that if we do our jobs well, the deepest bond we are given will walk out the door with a wave over the shoulder.”
Meaning: The best sign of raising a child well is that they become independent and leave, even though letting go is painful. -
“Being a good mother means teaching your children to care for the world.”
Meaning: Good parenting is more than keeping children safe at home; it prepares them to look after other people and the planet. -
“This is really why I made my daughters learn to garden—so they would always have a mother to love them, long after I am gone.”
Meaning: Teaching children to love and care for nature gives them lasting comfort and support, even after their parent is gone. -
“Being a good mother doesn't end with creating a home where just my children can flourish. A good mother grows into a richly eutrophic old woman, knowing that her work doesn't end until she creates a h...”
Meaning: A mother's care can grow beyond her own children to include a wider community and the world they will live in. -
“Mothering is like that, a net of living threads to lovingly encircle what it cannot possibly hold, what will eventually move through it.”
Meaning: Mothering means surrounding a child with love and support while knowing they will eventually move beyond your reach.