Charisse

“But the problem is you hurting yourself by trying to let folk know they hurt you.”
― Kiese Laymon, Heavy

“I asked Grandmama why she whupped me on my legs when I was doing quick feet, and not my head or my neck or my back like you would. “Because I don’t want to hurt you,” she said. “I want you to act like you got good sense but I don’t ever want to hurt you.”
― Kiese Laymon, Heavy

“A woman mistakenly thinks that to be worthy of receiving what she really wants, she must keep giving back what she is receiving.”
― John Gray, Mars and Venus on a Date: A Guide for Navigating the 5 Stages of Dating to Create a Loving and Lasting Relationship – Expert Insights for Singles Seeking Their Perfect Partner

“I couldn’t imagine the complexity of domestic violence, the internalization of the idea that pain is part of love, that love is defined by possession, that return to the scene of the crime is proof of devotion.”
― Glory Edim, Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves