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Save Some for Me: Inspiration for Single Mothers and the People who Love Them
by Susan A. Jennings
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 The Dream Turned Nightmare: Living with an Abusive Drunk-Early Days in England
In northern England there is a saying: "big hats and no drawers." What this means is that the outer appearance is affluent, but the real situation is shallow and not what it appears. In the case of our suburban life, it appropriately referred to the appearance of perfect families and the contrast with what was really going on behind closed doors.
So, with my crown of denial firmly attached to my head, I pretended everything was okay, but that was far from the truth. I was later to discover that we were not the only family in the neighbourhood to have "big hats and no drawers." At the time, all I could see were the "big hats."
Our secret was Rodney’s drinking and abusive behaviour; both physical and emotional. The abuse was usually directed toward me, but there were occasions when the children felt the brunt of his moods. It may sound odd to call the drinking a secret because the neighbourhood, especially our street, loved to socialize and we could always find an excuse to get together.
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