--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Come awake, Tom. Fathers can willfully…" description: "\"Come awake, Tom. Fathers can willfully hurt their children. They can be addicts too weak to give up their vices, no matter the pain it causes. Mothers ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/libba-bray-259_addict_come-awake-tom-fathers-can-willfully-hur_1734404.jpg" --- # Come awake, Tom. Fathers can willfully hurt their… ![“Come awake, Tom. Fathers can willfully hurt their children. They can be addicts too weak to give up their vices, no matter the pain it causes. Mothers can turn you invisible with neglect. They can erase you with a denial, a refusal to see. Friends can deceive you. People lie. It is a cold, hard…” quote by Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/libba-bray-259_addict_come-awake-tom-fathers-can-willfully-hur_1734404.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/libba-bray-259_addict_come-awake-tom-fathers-can-willfully-hur_1734404.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/libba-bray-259_addict_come-awake-tom-fathers-can-willfully-hur_1734404.jpg) > “Come awake, Tom. Fathers can willfully hurt their children. They can be addicts too weak to give up their vices, no matter the pain it causes. Mothers can turn you invisible with neglect. They can erase you with a denial, a refusal to see. Friends can deceive you. People lie. It is a cold, hard world. I do not blame Nell Hawkins for retreating from it into a madness of her own choosing.” [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights how various relationships can cause deep emotional pain and neglect, leading to isolation and disillusionment. **In simple terms:** People can hurt you in many ways, causing loneliness and pain. Key Takeaway Recognize and address harmful relationships. Themes family friendship abuse neglect mental health Mood sad reflective serious Type narrative emotional cautionary When to use this quote - family conflict - friendship betrayal - mental health coping - personal boundaries Key Concepts psychology trauma social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How do you protect yourself from emotional harm? - What steps can you take to heal from neglect? A Different Perspective Healing may be slow and requires support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Cold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold/) [Denial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denial/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Giving up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-up/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Madness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/madness/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Neglect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neglect/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People lie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-lie/) [Vices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vices/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Probably the greatest single obstacle to the progress and happiness of the American people lies in the willingness of so many men to invest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/probably-the-greatest-single-obstacle-to-the-progress-and-happiness/) [John D. 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You mean that an innocent lie for the sake of a good joke is harmless, and does not offend the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/i-quite-understand-you-you-mean-that-an-innocent-lie-for-the-sake-of/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [This is a fallen world. People lie, the truth gets distorted, and that's the way it is. What's for dinner ?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-leon/this-is-a-fallen-world-people-lie-the-truth-gets-distorted-and-that-s/) [Donna Leon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-leon/) > [“Some people will lie, cheat, steal and back-stab to to get ahead...and to think, all they have to do is READ!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fortune/some-people-will-lie-cheat-steal-and-back-stab-to-to-get-ahead-and-to/) Fortune > [Hollywood is a place where some people lie on the beach and look up at the stars, whereas other people lie on the stars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-coward/hollywood-is-a-place-where-some-people-lie-on-the-beach-and-look-up/) [Noel Coward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-coward/) ## More by Libba Bray > [“I have never felt more ridiculous. 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