She didn’t hit me, but she didn’t keep me safe from those who did.
She didn’t touch me in my bathing suit area, but she didn’t keep me safe from those who did.
She didn’t help me when I was suicidal or self-mutilating, but she made sure I knew when she was in pain so that I could comfort her.
She didn’t hold me when I cried, but she did demand that I support her through every difficult moment.
She didn’t hug me.
She didn’t comfort me.
She didn’t tell me that she loved me unless she needed something from me.
She didn’t see me.
She didn’t value me.
She didn’t make sure I had food to eat, or a place to live.
She didn’t protect me, guide me, or support me.
What she did do was manipulate me, devalue me, and erase me from the important moments in my life.
Childhood neglect. It’s not about what you did. It’s about what you didn’t do.