What it's Like to Keep Living Quotes

“What were you wearing? Why did you go to his empty house alone? Did you drink any alcohol or take any drugs before going to Samael's house? Do you have a boyfriend?
If so, are you serious with him? Are you sexually active?
What did you eat that day? Who cooked for you? Who dropped you off at Samael's house?
I was mentally prodded, poked and attacked with quickfire questions that made no sense to me. My mind couldn't begin to fathom why they needed to know those things about me. I was astounded by how different it was this time.
The worst question they asked me was: are you sure you didn't imagine it considering your past?
Like it was my fault. Like I had imagined the sexual assault I had undergone. Like I had just assumed that he was that kind of guy because of what the monster did to me. I was on the verge of throwing up throughout the entire trial. My mum and dad both sat silently watching, looking like they were ready to burst.
This was serious they kept on telling me. Sam was over eighteen. I could be ruining his life right now if I was wrong.”
― Danielle Dunn, What it's Like to Keep Living

“You see, the thing about bullying is that it doesn't hold the same amount of power or strike the same amount of fear that the words murder and rape and suicide do. But sometimes it's worse. If I passed you on the street and told you that Sam had bullied me, you'd probably feel a bit sorry for me, maybe link it in your mind to your own experiences of bullying and never think about it again. But if I passed you on the street and told you that Sam had tried to rape me. You'd have a much stronger reaction. You'd probably feel really sorry for me. You'd probably ask me how I was doing and say how strong you think I am. Or you might blame me. You might say it was my fault for trusting someone who was obviously so evil. But you would have quite a powerful reaction. Why is that? Why doesn't the world bully cause the development of strong feelings the way the words rape and murder do? I really don't know. But it shouldn't be that way. True, sometimes bullying isn't that bad. Sometimes it is just children being stupid and a little bit mean. But bullying is never good.”
― Danielle Dunn, What it's Like to Keep Living

“When the stars came out that night, I sat in the garden on a small stone bench and I read the letter that Will had
written first. My head had decided that it would be easier to read before my heart could feel too hard about what he might have written.
My head was wrong. My heart cried with sadness and with joy. They were perfect words, written by a perfect man. They were words so filled with heartbreak, love and compassion that I held my breath throughout reading every single word. Words have the power to break you or to fix you. That night, sitting under those stars and reading those words, they seemed to be the glue that slowly started to fix my broken heart.”
― Danielle Dunn, What it's Like to Keep Living

“She wrote: Live. Make sure that you choose to live. Her words will stay with me forever. I did choose to live.”
― Danielle Dunn, What it's Like to Keep Living

“The past few days have been miserable.
Absolutely horrendous. | honestly don't know how you get through every day, you're stronger than I am. But we knew that already haha.
Anyway, my point is that my mum will forever be my best friend and I'm heartbroken that she's gone. But I don't feel broken and lost the same way I have the past few days. And I think we need to remember that, whilst it's okay to not be okay, it's also okay to be okay.”
― Danielle Dunn, What it's Like to Keep Living

“Is this Hell? Is this Heaven? I often used to ask myself those two very important questions. I finally had my answer. No. I thought. This is what it's like to keep living.”
― Danielle Dunn, What it's Like to Keep Living

“Nobody's perfect," He started. "I was terrified too. But the minute I really saw you, I had to know you.”
― Danielle Dunn, What it's Like to Keep Living