“Just remember, rain doesn’t seem all that threatening at first, but too much rain can turn into a flood.”
―
K.L. Randis,
Spilled Milk
“Professionals don’t know what gives some people a resilient personality,” Dr. Russ said, pacing the classroom. “You can have four people go through something exceptionally traumatic, and one of those people will have a higher resiliency to coping. They won’t turn to drugs or rebel against society, they’ll seek the positive in any given situation. Now the interesting thing is the argument whether resiliency is nature or nurture. Are we born with it, or is it taught to us?” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“Not everyone is abused by getting hit or slapped around, no child. Some people get put down by being called names, or the abuser makes them feel like they crazy and that the abuse ain’t happening.” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“We don’t have the luxury of fallin’ apart, for someone else to come picking up the pieces.” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“We were fifteen months apart in age which meant everything was a competition; who could read all the Disney books the fastest, ride their bike further or know all answers to the universe both large and small.” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“Abuse can mean so many things, like threatening someone, hitting them, or controlling them by making them feel worthless.” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“Big thing to know is that if you don’t want to do it and they make you, it’s sexual abuse.” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“had” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“that’s something that happened to you. It’s not who you are.” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“Everything’s fine.” The corners of her mouth turned upward. “Go be with Paul, everyone’s fine” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“I was going to be twelve that summer. While I finished packing my suitcase, I remembered back to when Mom had the first of many surgeries meant to repair the damage to her spine. I was seven then, and Dad started to tuck us in at night since Mom couldn’t do it anymore. She wasn’t able to do much of anything with rods and screws in her back. Always a heavy sleeper, my sister would be tenderly snoring after a few minutes of Dad rubbing her back and I would try not to fidget in the bed we shared while I waited for my turn.” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“I nodded. I didn’t belong to any clubs or sports. The little time I did have—not occupied with home life—I worked to make money or study. Sure, it was going to help when I applied for college but I felt like I was missing out on something. I never got a chance to do something because I wanted to. I did things because I had to. Without thinking twice about it, I ripped the flyer off the bulletin and stuffed it into my book bag.” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“Gina staring at me from the rearview mirror. “It’s fine. I just” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“In a moment of weakness the only logical choice was to end my life. Where would that leave my siblings though? No one would protect them like I could.” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“Stroudsburg was a crumb-sized speck of a town in nowhere Pennsylvania.” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“For years, I thought that ignoring and denying what happened in our home was protecting my brothers and sister. I knew, now, that it was only enabling him. The longer I kept his secrets, the longer he could continue to do whatever he pleased.” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“My brother’s head bobbed halfway under the surface of the kiddie pool. I traced the outline of Barbie’s face on my bathing suit and waited for him to come up. Adam could hold his breath longer since he was seven, a whole year older than me. His mouth must have been bigger and could hold more air.” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“I had already reached the front door and was pulling it open before I could answer. The look on Thomas’ face…he wasn’t in trouble, I knew. Something bad had happened to him. My motherly intuition always heightened when I knew Adam was about to cry and when Kat was scared. The bond I had with my siblings made it seem as though I could read their minds.” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“My mom sat against the adjacent wall from me staring off into space, a behavior I often mimicked myself. I never questioned the origin of my ability to transfix my eyes on an inanimate object while my brain sputtered into shutdown mode. It was a welcomed retreat at times.” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“Professionals don’t know what gives some people a resilient personality,” Dr. Russ said, pacing the classroom. “You can have four people go through something exceptionally traumatic, and one of those people will have a higher resiliency to coping. They won’t turn to drugs or rebel against society, they’ll seek the positive in any given situation. Now the interesting thing is the argument whether resiliency is nature or nurture. Are we born with it, or is it taught to us?” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“Not everyone is abused by getting hit or slapped around, no child. Some people get put down by being called names, or the abuser makes them feel like they crazy and that the abuse ain’t happening.” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“We don’t have the luxury of fallin’ apart, for someone else to come picking up the pieces.” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“We were fifteen months apart in age which meant everything was a competition; who could read all the Disney books the fastest, ride their bike further or know all answers to the universe both large and small.” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“Abuse can mean so many things, like threatening someone, hitting them, or controlling them by making them feel worthless.” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“Big thing to know is that if you don’t want to do it and they make you, it’s sexual abuse.” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“had” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“that’s something that happened to you. It’s not who you are.” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“Everything’s fine.” The corners of her mouth turned upward. “Go be with Paul, everyone’s fine” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“I was going to be twelve that summer. While I finished packing my suitcase, I remembered back to when Mom had the first of many surgeries meant to repair the damage to her spine. I was seven then, and Dad started to tuck us in at night since Mom couldn’t do it anymore. She wasn’t able to do much of anything with rods and screws in her back. Always a heavy sleeper, my sister would be tenderly snoring after a few minutes of Dad rubbing her back and I would try not to fidget in the bed we shared while I waited for my turn.” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“I nodded. I didn’t belong to any clubs or sports. The little time I did have—not occupied with home life—I worked to make money or study. Sure, it was going to help when I applied for college but I felt like I was missing out on something. I never got a chance to do something because I wanted to. I did things because I had to. Without thinking twice about it, I ripped the flyer off the bulletin and stuffed it into my book bag.” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“Gina staring at me from the rearview mirror. “It’s fine. I just” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“In a moment of weakness the only logical choice was to end my life. Where would that leave my siblings though? No one would protect them like I could.” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“Stroudsburg was a crumb-sized speck of a town in nowhere Pennsylvania.” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“For years, I thought that ignoring and denying what happened in our home was protecting my brothers and sister. I knew, now, that it was only enabling him. The longer I kept his secrets, the longer he could continue to do whatever he pleased.” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“My brother’s head bobbed halfway under the surface of the kiddie pool. I traced the outline of Barbie’s face on my bathing suit and waited for him to come up. Adam could hold his breath longer since he was seven, a whole year older than me. His mouth must have been bigger and could hold more air.” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“I had already reached the front door and was pulling it open before I could answer. The look on Thomas’ face…he wasn’t in trouble, I knew. Something bad had happened to him. My motherly intuition always heightened when I knew Adam was about to cry and when Kat was scared. The bond I had with my siblings made it seem as though I could read their minds.” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
“My mom sat against the adjacent wall from me staring off into space, a behavior I often mimicked myself. I never questioned the origin of my ability to transfix my eyes on an inanimate object while my brain sputtered into shutdown mode. It was a welcomed retreat at times.” ― K.L. Randis, Spilled Milk
