If she be all tenderness, she will die. If she survive, the tenderness will either be crushed out of her, or—and the outward semblance is the same—crushed so deeply into her heart that it can never show itself more.” ~from The Scarlet Letter
I know what it is like to be able to not cry. I taught myself not to cry when my ex-husband ranted and raged at me. He knew the things to say that would cut me deepest. I thought I was holding the family together. So foolish. I would not raise my voice and attempt to state my position in a clear, logical manner. What a nightmare.
Nathaniel Hawthorne describes my feeling in the latter portion of this excerpt from his book. I do not know yet if tenderness will truly never show itself more, but I know my heart. I have too great a propensity for kindness and love. I know that my deep wounds will heal in time. My endeavor will be to train myself in self-protection.
