Every act of motherhood ...

Every act of motherhood contains a dual intent, as the mother holds the child close and prepares it to move way from her, as she supports the child and stands it firmly on its own feet, and as she guards it against danger and sends it out across the yard, down by the stream, and across the traffic-crowded highway. Unless a mother can do both - gather her child close and turn her child out toward the world - she will fail in her purpose.
Every act of motherhood contains a dual intent, as the mother holds the child close and prepares it to move way from her, as she supports the child and stands it firmly on its own feet, and as she guards it against danger and sends it out across the yard, down by the stream, and across the traffic-crowded highway. Unless a mother can do both - gather her child close and turn her child out toward the world - she will fail in her purpose.
 Margaret Mead

Quotes from the same author

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed. It is the only thing that ever has.
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 Margaret Mead
Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.
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 Margaret Mead
Female animals defending their young are notoriously ferocious and lack the playful delight in combat which characterizes the mock combats of males of the same species. There seems very little ground for claiming that the mother of young children is more peaceful, more responsible, and more thoughtful for the welfare of the human race than is her husband or brother.
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 Margaret Mead
It is utterly false and cruelly arbitrary... to put all the play and learning into childhood, all the work into middle age, and all the regrets into old age.
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 Margaret Mead
And as I had my father's kind of mind-which was also his mother's-I learned that the mind is not sex-typed.
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 Margaret Mead