As hard as it is to acknowledge, we do, indeed, come into the world alone, die alone, and essentially live all the days in between alone. That doesn’t mean we cannot share some very meaningful, fulfilling, and intimate times with those we love along the way, but it does mean that we are the only constant, the only person we can rely on to be there for ourselves no matter what.
Unfortunately, all too often we let ourselves down by not taking care of ourselves, by ignoring our true wishes and desires, and by subjugating our needs to the needs of others.
We must begin meeting our own needs, understanding once and for all that no one else is going to take responsibility for us or take care of us. As unbearable as it may seem, we must learn to take care of ourselves.
Beverly Engel, The Emotionally Abused Woman, p. 192.
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