It’s an old family story. I know, stop groaning. I won’t make it too long to bear. Promise…
It all started when my Uncle Mike, then a young teen, met a young girl at a summer church camp. They dated each other in high school, he a senior and she a sophomore. After he graduated at age 17, he was off to the U.S. Air Force. But they remained in touch with each other. About a year or so later Uncle Mike returned home and proposed to Vicky. I was a tiny girl of about five when Uncle Mike asked Vicky to marry him. It seems like everyone was so much taller than me. But I certainly knew what a wedding was.
If you are reading this blog, it is likely that you know October is domestic violence month. And you probably know domestic violence normally begets domestic violence. But my story is different. With help, I was able to break the violent cycle.
While my father has been sober many years now, he is an alcoholic. He is a mean drunk who sometimes beat my mother. From a very young age, maybe around seven or eight, I understood that this was wrong. My mom confided to my older brother and me that she was considering leaving my dad. I encouraged her to do it. Is there anything right with this picture? No! No child should understand their mom would be better off without their dad at seven or eight years old.
It’s an old family story. I know, stop groaning. I won’t make it too long to bear. Promise…