they take my kindness for weakness still comin out strong

Some are so obvious that they can be spotted from space through the eye of a needle. When children are raised on a diet of criticism, judgement, abuse and loathing, it’s only a matter of time before they take over from those parents, delivering with full force to themselves the toxic lashings that have been delivered to them. None of us are perfect, including our parents, but there is a point at which imperfect becomes destructive, taking away from children the love, warmth and nurturing they deserve and replacing it with something awful.

The scarring and hurt that comes from a toxic parent probably isn’t something we talk about enough. Kind of like being broken from the inside out. There is a different kind of hurt that can only come from a toxic parent – someone who is meant to love you.

It’s one thing to be dipped in venom by those you don’t really care about, but when it’s by the person who is meant to love you, hold you, and take the sharp edges off the world, while teaching you with love, wisdom and warmth how to do it for yourself, it changes you.

They take my kindness for weakness still comin out strong