Audra McDonald Quotes

I think you really have to become a parent to understand what you will endure to be there for your kids.

Parenthood is such a lesson in self-sacrifice.

Everybody always tells you what an awesome and unique experience being a parent is. Words can never do the feeling justice.

When you have children it completely shifts your focus; they become the most passionate love of your life.

No one understands the shift in priorities about having a child in your life... until you have a child in your life.

Being a father taught me patience. And it taught me vulnerability. You don't realize how vulnerable you are when you love something else more far more than yourself.

Having children is not for everyone, but I think it's a beautiful lesson in it not being all about me anymore. It's a relief, in a way. It's like, this is her story now, and I'm her mom. It's a nice shift.

You see things through a different lens when you have a child.

You have to be pretty selfless to have a child, who doesn't give a lot back to you.

You just become more mature as a human being, having a child. The stakes are a lot higher, things are different. It teaches you to be patient and it's changed me a lot.

My daughter is 12 weeks old and I've been in a training camp for 10 weeks. So I haven't held her properly and been out pushing the pram, doing the little things. But when I'm slugging it out and things are getting tough I just think, 'everything is for the kids.'

There's nothing more important in my life than my son.

When you have a child, you really understand what it means to love, to have something to be selfless for. I think that elevates you. It elevates your consciousnesses, your level of thinking, your art and the way you approach it - everything.

Angelina and Brad have shown me that caring for children is the greatest gift in the world.

Everything I do revolves around my children.

Oh, my God. I want to be a mother, and I anticipate loving my children quite fiercely. I think about it all the time, though it's a silly thing to think about because the kind of mother I'll be depends on the kind of children I have. I can't wait to meet them.

I was surprised by how much I like being a father; surprised at what a decent father I am, because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to dump my selfishness.

I have three sons, and I think we're both fierce protectors of our children.

I think that when you have kids, it's all about them.

Fatherhood is wonderful.

I'm not thinking about me that much anymore. Every time I look, I'm looking for my daughter, you know? If I'm in a store, I'm looking at baby clothes. It's so much cuter to find things for her than to find things for me.

Becoming a father increases your capacity for love and your level of patience. It opens up another door in a person - a door which you may not even have known was there. That's what I feel with my son. There's suddenly another level of love that expands. My son is my greatest joy, out of everything in my life.

The moment you have a child, in an instant your life is not for you, and your life is completely, 100 percent dedicated to another human being, and they will always come first. It changes you forever. It changes your perspective, and it gives you a nice purpose and focus.

Being a father has been, without a doubt, my greatest source of achievement, pride and inspiration. Fatherhood has taught me about unconditional love, reinforced the importance of giving back and taught me how to be a better person.

You bring children into the world. You love them with heart and soul.