Kristel

“I ALWAYS ASK Stella and Nolan, “Do I seem like a stressed-out mom or a happy mom?” And they say, “You seem happy.”
― Molly Shannon, Hello, Molly!: A Memoir

“But as I reflect on the many incongruities of my childhood, I can’t help but feel sadness for the baby girl who cried for her mother. Who wanted a different kind of love than the kind she received. A love that allows for vulnerability, for tears, for the full range of human emotion. A love that allows a child the freedom to feel.”
― Shari Franke, The House of My Mother: A Daughter's Quest for Freedom

“I understand the fickle nature of memory—how our minds can sometimes erase the most painful experiences, leaving behind a sanitized version of the past.”
― Shari Franke, The House of My Mother: A Daughter's Quest for Freedom

“I wanted to support my mother, despite the complex emotions I harbored toward her. Perhaps it was because I could empathize with the experience of holding resentment against one’s parents and grappling with unresolved childhood trauma. I instinctively understood that unaddressed pain often perpetuates cycles of hurt, passing from one generation to the next. I’d never thought about it before, that even those who present a flawless facade to the world, like my mother, might be struggling with deep-seated issues that remain hidden from view. How their polished exterior can serve as a mask, concealing the inner turmoil and unhealed wounds that continue to fester beneath the surface.”
― Shari Franke, The House of My Mother: A Daughter's Quest for Freedom