50 Rose Kennedy Quotes from the Mother of JFK

Everyone knows who JFK is, but these Rose Kennedy quotes will give you a better feel for the mother who raised him.

We all know the Kennedy family.

Politics seems to have run in the blood.

The family produced an Attorney General and several members of the U.S. House and Senate, along with appointed officials and elected officials.

And, of course, we all know the most popular of all —John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, who was assassinated in the 1960s.

The matriarch of the family was Rose Kennedy.

She lived to be 104 years old and was honored by Pope Pius XII before passing away as a Papal countess.

Rose Kennedy Quotes about Life and Inspirations

1. “Life isn’t a matter of milestones, but of moments.” – Rose Kennedy

2. “It has been said, ‘time heals all wounds.’ I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens, but it is never gone.” – Rose Kennedy

3. “Age, however, has its privileges. One is to reminisce, and another is to reminisce selectively.” – Rose Kennedy

4. “I am not going to be licked by tragedy, as life is a challenge, and we must carry on and work for the living as well as mourn for the dead.” – Rose Kennedy

5. “It is selfish to concern oneself with tragedies.” – Rose Kennedy

6. “In the middle of a world that had always been a bit mad, the catwalks with confidence.” – Rose Kennedy

7. “I don’t think you’re much good unless you’re doing good to someone.” – Rose Kennedy

8. “Money doesn’t give you any license to relax. It gives you an opportunity to use all your abilities, free of financial worries, to go forward, and to use your superior advantages and talents to help others.” – Rose Kennedy

9. “My philosophy has been that regardless of the circumstances, I shall not be vanquished, but will try to be happy.” – Rose Kennedy

10. “Life is not easy for any of us. But it is a continual challenge, and it is up to us to be cheerful – and to be strong, so that those who depend on us may draw strength from our example.” – Rose Kennedy

11. “Prosperity tries the fortunate, adversity the great.” – Rose Kennedy

12. “To mе thе gift of lifе iѕ contained in the соmmаnd, whаtеvеr hарреnѕ: “Don’t let it gеt уоu. Juѕt keep оn gоing.” Thus, I trу to think of thе gооd thаt I hаvе already еxреriеnсеd and what will ѕtill be соming.” – Rose Kennedy

13. “I myself am quite reconciled to the fact that I could not anticipate an ideal successful life. I cannot find in literature or in life many people whose lives we envy.” – Rose Kennedy

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Rose Kennedy Quotes about Family

14. “It’s wrong for parents to bury their children. It should be the other way around.” – Rose Kennedy

15. “When you hold your baby in your arms the first time, and you think of all the things you can say and do to influence him, it’s a tremendous responsibility.” – Rose Kennedy

16. “What greater aspiration and challenge are there for a mother than the hope of raising a great son or daughter?” – Rose Kennedy

17. “I tell myself that God gave my children many gifts – spirit, beauty, intelligence, the capacity to make friends and to inspire respect.” – Rose Kennedy

18. “To my mind, there was no one in the world like my father. Wherever he was, there was magic in the air.” – Rose Kennedy

19. “As motherhood is the greatest and most natural God-given gift for women for posterity, it would seem that the birth and rearing of children, in the way which to us seems most ideal, would be the most satisfying and the most rewarding career for a woman.” – Rose Kennedy

20. “I tried to allow my children to take risks, to test themselves. Better broken bones than broken spirit.” – Rose Kennedy

21. “I would much rather be known as the mother of a great son than the author of a great book or the painter of a great masterpiece.” – Rose Kennedy

22. “I looked on child-rearing not only as a work of love and duty but as a profession that was fully as interesting and challenging as any honorable profession in the world and one that demanded the best that I could bring to it.” – Rose Kennedy

23. “My father was a great innovator in public life, but when it came to raising his daughters, no one could have been more conservative.” – Rose Kennedy

24. “In my father’s time, a politician’s home was still his castle.” – Rose Kennedy

Rose Kennedy Quotes about Faith

25. “I have come to the conclusion that the most important element in human life is faith.” – Rose Kennedy

26. “In my life, I am often reminded that there is a destiny that rules over us because no one whom I know about or whom I read about seems to be completely happy during a long time.” – Rose Kennedy

27. If God were to take away all His blessings, health, physical fitness, wealth, intelligence, and leave me but one gift, I would ask for faith –- for with faith in Him, in His goodness, mercy, love for me, and belief in everlasting life, I believe I could suffer the loss of my other gifts and still be happy.” – Rose Kennedy

28. “I have always believed that God never gives a cross to bear larger than we can carry. No matter what, he wants us to be happy, not sad.” – Rose Kennedy

29. “Birds sing after a storm; why shouldn’t people feel as free to delight in whatever remains to them?” – Rose Kennedy

30. “I have seldom been so moved; to see that group of dark-skinned, little faced, with those immense, trustful, gentle brown eyes raised in prayer, convinced me for all time that there must be angels with dark faces as well as light ones, although I had never thought of them before.” – Rose Kennedy

31. “Try to turn your sorrows to constructive efforts to lighten the burden of others. God intends us to be happy.” – Rose Kennedy

32. “God has sent these children for a special reason, to do work he cannot do through any other child.” – Rose Kennedy

33. “I’m one of the most fortunate people in the world.” – Rose Kennedy

Rose Kennedy Quotes about Knowledge and Determination

34. “Neither comprehension nor learning can take place in an atmosphere of anxiety.” – Rose Kennedy

35. “More business is lost every year through neglect than through any other cause.” – Rose Kennedy

36. “If you can keep your head about you when all about you are losing theirs, it’s just possible you haven’t grasped the situation.” – Rose Kennedy

37. “Sedentary people are apt to have sluggish minds. A sluggish mind is apt to be reflected in flabbiness of body and in a dullness of expression that invites no interest and gets none.” – Rose Kennedy

38. “It is not tears but determination that makes pain bearable.” – Rose Kennedy

39. “I know not age, nor weariness nor defeat.” – Rose Kennedy

40. “The time will come when it will disgust you to look in the mirror.” – Rose Kennedy

41. “There’s nothing I like less than bad arguments for a view that I hold dear.” – Rose Kennedy

42. “It’s our money, and we’re free to spend it any way we please.” – Rose Kennedy

43. “Thеrе саn bе no rеаllу реrvаѕivе system оf oppression, ѕuсh аѕ thаt in thе Unitеd Stаtеѕ, withоut thе соnѕеnt оf thе оррrеѕѕеd.” – Rose Kennedy

44. “I’m like old wine. They don’t bring me out very often, but I’m well preserved.” – Rose Kennedy

45. “No one will ever feel sorry for me.” – Rose Kennedy

Rose Kennedy Quotes about Love

46. “Make sure you never, never argue at night. You just lose a good night’s sleep, and you can’t settle anything until morning anyway.” – Rose Kennedy

47. “I’ve had an exciting time I married for love and got a little money along with it.” – Rose Kennedy

48. “Any woman who still thinks marriage is a fifty-fifty proposition is only proving that she doesn’t understand either men or percentages.” – Rose Kennedy

49. “Whаt уоu do with him саn influеnсе nоt only him, but еvеrуоnе hе meets аnd nоt fоr a dау оr a month оr a уеаr but fоr timе аnd eternity.” – Rose Kennedy

50. I can understand how she probably wanted companionship and a certain security which a husband gives a woman.” – Rose Kennedy

What did you learn from these Rose Kennedy quotes?

When you look at the paragraphs at the top of the page, it’s easy to think that the family has just had a ridiculously successful life.

However, it has been riddled with tragedy.

And with being in the public eye, these tragedies were exposed to the world as well.

Many felt grief and loss when JFK was shot, Robert Kennedy was murdered, JFK Jr. died in a plane crash, and more.

But Rose Kennedy also struggled inwardly with being stuck in an unfaithful marriage, which led to her dependence on medication to help her deal with it all.

She experienced many ups and downs in life and through it all, maintained her focus on what she believed to be one of the most honorable roles in life, raising her family.

What’s your biggest takeaway from these Rose Kennedy quotes and sayings?

Do you have any other favorite quotes to add?

Let us know in the comment section below.