Sarah E. Olson Quotes & Sayings

I've been depressed all day. I feel like such a fraud. People say how special and wonderful I am. I think,
"Can't they tell? "

- Nita, September 18, 1984 — Sarah E. Olson

We say, "It wasn't that bad. It was all my fault. I'm making all this stuff up. "
All my life, I spoke bitterly of my mother's treatment of me as a child.
Friends asked, "What did she do to you?" I couldn't really describe it, and in frustration would say, "Well, she didn't lock us up in closets." in fact, my mother behaved much worse than that, but by focusing on the empty closet, I avoided looking at what waited beyond it. — Sarah E. Olson

July 15, 1991

Nita: My mother was a paragon of our neighborhood, People always come up to us with hugs, saying "You have the most wonderful mother." l'd think. "Don't you see what's going on in this house?" To this day, if somehow even in jest raises their hand to me, I will do this (raises hands to protect face and cowers) I cringe. Then they look at me like, what's your probem? You don't get that from a great childhood. — Sarah E. Olson

The reality is, no matter what you were told, whatever happened to you as a child was not legally or morally your fault. Abused children are instilled with guilt regarding their "participation." It's an especially complex issue if the abuser is a family member. The child is told and believes that by his word his family will disintegrate, or harm may descend upon other loved ones. He fears he will lose more by telling than not. — Sarah E. Olson

Even greater than my fear that l was crazy, was my lifelong dread that someone would find out. — Sarah E. Olson

Howard: Sometimes a betrayal can be so subtle that it clouds the whole thing.

Nita: It would have to be a real betrayal. Not like canceling an appointment. It would be like you'd end the relationship in the middle.

Howard: Why would I call it off?

Nita: I don't know! — Sarah E. Olson