“I had no idea what day it was, or what had happened. My throat was sore and dry. I hadn’t moved at all once I woke up. Everything was dim and looked blurry. I could hear someone near approach. I managed to get out a croaky, ‘Did I get them?’”
‘It was the call! I ran into my sister’s room, swung the door open. I was joyfully yelling, ‘I got the call, I got the call!’ She thought there was a fire. ‘Whats going on?!?’
‘I wasn’t the stereotypical addict on the streets with no teeth, begging for money. I had children. I was functioning. I’d get up, eat, go to the gym. Then, I’d go on a bender for days.’
“I’d do whatever I could to distract myself from the fact that I felt alone. I always wanted to stop, but I didn’t know how. People around me knew, but never said anything. It made me feel like it was okay. I didn’t realize I needed to change until I lost my children. I decided if I couldn’t beat this and see my kids again, I’d kill myself.”
‘No nursing home for us! We’ll be checking into a Holiday Inn! At the Holiday Inn, long term stay and senior discount is $59.23 per night.’: Woman shares genius senior plan, ‘When I reach that golden age, I’ll face it with a grin’
“Breakfast is included, and happy hours in the afternoon. Most have free toothpaste and razors, and all have free shampoo and soap. The grand-kids can use the pool. What more could I ask for?”
‘You’re a single guy… why don’t you try TINDER?’ I literally laughed out loud. ‘What’s that!?’: Man discovers love of his life on Tinder
“I took his advice and downloaded the app in hopes of finding someone I could have genuine conversations with. I was looking to build a friendship before becoming romantically involved. Eventually, I came across the profile of a beautiful angel wearing a Mets jersey.”
‘With no emotion he told us, ‘Ryder will forever be a vegetable and drool all over himself.’ Then he got up and left the room. All I saw was tunnel vision. We knew it wasn’t right.’
“Driving down the road, my ears started ringing. With the big lump in my throat I let out a few tears, pulled myself together, and prayed. I felt as if I was getting struck by lightning once again. So many rare things have happened to our family.”
‘Why should I be surprised he sought the company of other women? There were times I prayed he would hit me. YOU DON’T HAVE TO WAIT.’
“Those 10 years destroyed my core. They broke me into a million pieces. Those 10 years implanted insecurities that never existed before.”
‘His phone rang. It was my mom in hysterics. My dad wasn’t breathing, and paramedics were doing CPR. Through all the emotional abuse, I was still a ‘Daddy’s Girl.’
“I was happier than I’d ever been. My dad was happy and healthy, I was getting married, and my dad talked about walking me down the aisle. My heart starts racing, and that night rushes back to me.”
‘I asked to borrow his Walkman. ‘Sure.’ My brother was breathing heavy in my ear. I froze. He told me not to tell.’: Assault survivor shares emotional journey to peace
“It began out of nowhere. I was frozen, unsure of what was happening. He told me not to tell. I knew something wasn’t right but he was my older brother, so I did what he said. Until one day, we heard my uncle’s car pull into the driveway. As he quickly opened the quickly, my brother rushed to get off of me. ‘What’s going on?!’ My stomach was in knots.”
‘Thank you my grandfather, who sexually abused me for years. You taught me how to protect my children. You taught me the good and bad in the world. That bad exists, but it never wins.’
“Thank you my ex-boyfriend, who cheated and treated me like I was never good enough or thin enough. If it wasn’t for you, I would have never known my true worth, and that I would never tolerate being treated that way again.”
‘Come back in a year. Go home and enjoy your life. If things haven’t worked themselves out, we can talk again.’ I walked out of that room confused, angry, mortified, and embarrassed.’
“After telling her my story and the results of the previous appointment, she was in shock. ‘This is NOT normal, there must be something wrong.’ This made Aaron and I uneasy yet comforted all at the same time.”