God is our father, but even more is God our mother.

Families, I hate you! Shut-in homes, closed doors, jealous possessions of happiness.

He that hath wife and children hath given hostages to fortune; for they are impediments to great enterprises, either of virtue or mischief.

The greatest thing in family life is to take a hint when a hint is intended—and not to take a hint when a hint isn’t intended.

Motherhood is the strangest thing, it can be like being one’s own Trojan horse.

Familiarity breeds contempt—and children.

My mother protected me from the world and my father threatened me with it.

Men are what their mothers made them.

The strength of a family, like the strength of an army, is in its loyalty to each other.

There is not much less vexation in the government of a private family than in the managing of an entire state.

Mother died today. Or maybe it was yesterday, I don’t know.