So glad you are writing about all of this. It can only be therapeutic for you and instructive for others. The sexual violation of children, in particular, is an especially egregious crime. May each and every pedophile find a special place in hell waiting for them...but ESPECIALLY for those hiding behind the facade of being clergy, teacher, doctor, parent...the innocence/sensitivity of children is one of the most precious and beautiful aspects of life and should be guarded and protected zealously and with great love.
Although I am so angry at what happened to you, perhaps it may have facilitated your inner spiritual/emotional growth in some way? I say this because my highly sensitive daughter was bullied for a few years in elementary school...it was a top NYC public school that we got into via connections so I hesitated to pull her out. In the end, after much therapy and finding a very nurturing Middle School/High School where she bloomed, she is now a well-adjusted, unusually mature and happy Dean's List college student in her chosen field. She has often told me that she feels, in retrospect, that those years of miserable bullying sped up her maturity and inner growth...that she learned certain lessons early on which set her on the right path. She never turned bitter, only more compassionate toward others.
@polarberry My parents taught us the following: you don't ask anyone about their religion, you don't ask anyone who they voted for, you don't ask anyone what they paid for something, and you don't ask anyone about their politics. I guess all that's over with social media!
My parents too, all those things. I still cringe when I get a gift with the price tag on it lol. Is it a big deal in the grand scheme of things? Of course not, but little things stick with you.
The down side of that era is that things that should not have been swept under the rug often were.
My mother would not say who she voted for or show anyone the slip from her fortune cookie. If you tried to read it, she'd get mad!
Amy McGrath has a narrow lead over Turtle!
The polling, which was conducted by RMG Group, shows McGrath, a former Marine fighter pilot, with the support of 41 percent of voters, while McConnell is backed by 40 percent. However, the polling also showed that when voters are informed that McGrath supports congressional term limits while McConnell does not, her lead over the Republican jumps significantly.
I am catching up on posts today and saw these from you about your experiences with the Catholic Church. What an awful ordeal you have been through and I am so deeply sorry for your suffering. As I write this, I am reminded how these ordeals of life shape us into the purposeful, compassionate people we become and give us strength both to endure and to speak out against injustice. Thank you for sharing more about yourself. I am always, always drawn to your posts because they resonate with me. I am glad you are here on this site and glad we are friends.
Same. I miss those days. Growing up, we discussed politics at the dinner table at home, but we never discussed politics outside the home. We never knew our friends' political affiliations and didn't care. I miss the civility and friendliness of a united community. It's a challenge for me to ignore the propaganda of the Faux News aficionados and that propaganda is often accompanied by general assholery. Deep breaths, smile and change the subject.