About this quote

The line points to that fierce, immediate urge to keep someone you love from getting hurt. It reads as tenderness and a promise to create safety, but it also asks you to think about what real safety requires. Notice whether your instinct is to shield or to build support that lasts. Ask the person what actually helps, then take one concrete step toward that today.

When to use it

• Hospital recovery: he put his forehead to mine and said, 'Put you somewhere you can't get hurt.' I answered, 'Then start by driving me to my physical therapy appointments and reminding me to do the exercises.'
• After our kid got bullied at school I remembered that line and told my partner, 'We can't just hide him at home; let's find a counselor and an after-school club where he feels strong.'
• On the rugby pitch after a concussion scare, the captain said he wanted to keep me safe. I replied, 'Okay — show me the return-to-play plan and we'll stick to it.'
• When my friend was slipping back into old habits, I thought of that line and said, 'If you want me here, tell me one thing I can do right now to make you safer.'