"Who" Are Your Friends?

[NickieNic]

Being that I am someone who has been abused sexually by a step father and another family member, I feel the need to put my two sense in. I did not read all the post for the simple fact me talking about it brings up too many painful feelings and memories. Both of the men that abused me (when I was between the ages or 6 and 12) got away with nothing happening to them, b/c my mother said she did not need that in her life. SO I was forced to keep my mouth shut and stuff everything in, while the two ppl that destroyed my life got to move on and do what they pleased with theirs. At the age of 18 I exploded and told my step mom and my Dad. Everything suddenly became clear from there. I had to forgive them in order for me to heal myself ( I said FORGIVE NOT FORGET) . I STILL hurt and I still deal with the pain, but I have a clean conscience. I know that KARMA took care of them even though the law did not. One died in a run down trailer alone and the other got cancer of the eyes (I said that it was b/c he saw things he had NO business looking at) among LOTS of other things. He is slowly dieing and in pain every second of the day. And you know I can actually say I wish that he would get better. He is the father to one of my brothers (I have 5), I have had to raise my brother b/c no one else can. My brother does not know what his father did, and it kinda hurts that he even looks up to him. But I would not dare tell him or try to take away the love he has for his dad....Don't know if that helped anyone, but It felt kinda good to get that out. But what I went through means nothing if I keep it in and don't help others...

[Taylor-MadeAK]

Read the rest of the thread, Nickie.  Just about everyone who posted is living proof that it is possible to pick up the pieces and move on with a healthy and normal life after being abused that way.  We are also evidence to the fact that this kind of abuse is a lot more common than most people would like everyone else to believe.