Sunday, October 25, 2015

Quote of the Day

The older we get, the more difficult it is to find other people who can give us the love our parents denied us.  But the body's expectations do not slacken with age -- quite the contrary!  They are merely directed at others, usually our own children and grandchildren.  The only way out of this dilemma is to become aware of these mechanisms and to identify the reality of our own childhood by counteracting the processes of repression and denial.  In this way we can create in our own selves a person who can satisfy at least some of the needs that have been waiting for fulfillment since birth, if not earlier.  Then we can give ourselves the attention, the respect, the understanding for our emotions, the sorely needed protection, and the unconditional love that our parents withheld from us.

-- Alice Miller, The Body Never Lies, p. 22

No comments: