Forgiving my father didn’t mean I trusted him. It didn’t mean I let my daughter sit on his lap. It didn’t mean I cuddled with him. Even in his old age, he made sexually inappropriate remarks. Though he was a generous, hardworking, and dependable man in many ways, I never knew what he might do …
Author Archives: Karen
“I Forgive”
“Okay, God, I forgive my father.” Sexual abuse at a young age had left serious consequences–anxiety, distrust, debilitating fears, and intrusive memories of the abuse. The abuse had also contributed to severe mental illness. At the time I said those words, I’d just gotten out of the hospital from my second inpatient stay. Diagnosed manic-depressive, I …
“She Did Her Best”
“My mother did the best she could. Grandma was hard and cruel to her. Mom wasn’t so bad to me. It could have been worse. I know I told you about that time she locked me in the closet and wouldn’t let me out for hours, but she only did that once. Her mother did …