" Begin to nurture yourself…Some grew up expecting their romantic partners to give them the nurturing they hungered for, only to be disappointed. But our partners are not our parents, no matter how much we try to make them into parents. No one can make up for the deprivation you experienced, and no one should be expected to. "

― Beverly Engel , The Emotionally Abusive Relationship: How to Stop Being Abused and How to Stop Abusing