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Parenting & Family Quote by Celine Dion

"I think that life has a secret, and children they hold that secret. Maybe it's not given to everybody to discover this thing"

About this Quote

Celine Dion frames innocence as a kind of VIP access: life has a “secret,” and children are the ones holding the pass. Coming from a performer whose career is built on maximal emotion, the line reads less like a neat philosophy and more like a confession from someone who’s spent decades translating feeling into spectacle. The “secret” isn’t defined because it’s not an idea you can explain on a talk show; it’s an orientation toward living that you either still have or you’ve misplaced.

The subtext sits in the gentle sting of “Maybe it’s not given to everybody.” That’s not gatekeeping so much as grief. Adults aren’t condemned; they’re distracted, armored up, trained to barter wonder for control. By casting discovery as something “given,” Dion nudges the listener away from hustle-culture logic. You can’t grind your way into awe. Children “hold” it because they haven’t learned to curate themselves yet; they react before they rationalize.

Context matters: Dion’s public image has long braided devotion (to family, to love, to work) with conspicuous vulnerability. Her life has included enormous professional triumph alongside very public loss, and that combination makes the quote land as a coping method that isn’t cynical. She’s suggesting that meaning isn’t hiding in some grand achievement; it’s sitting in plain sight, in the unselfconscious way kids pay attention. The line flatters children, yes, but it really challenges adults: if the secret feels locked, the key might be your capacity to be moved without permission.

Quote Details

TopicMeaning of Life
SourceHelp us find the source
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Citation Formats

APA Style (7th ed.)
Dion, Celine. (2026, January 16). I think that life has a secret, and children they hold that secret. Maybe it's not given to everybody to discover this thing. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-think-that-life-has-a-secret-and-children-they-132090/

Chicago Style
Dion, Celine. "I think that life has a secret, and children they hold that secret. Maybe it's not given to everybody to discover this thing." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-think-that-life-has-a-secret-and-children-they-132090/.

MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I think that life has a secret, and children they hold that secret. Maybe it's not given to everybody to discover this thing." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-think-that-life-has-a-secret-and-children-they-132090/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

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About the Author

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Celine Dion (born March 30, 1968) is a Musician from Canada.

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