Dear Talia:

Regarding your first sentence in your recent post: when your parents yelled at you, they felt anger at you. Anger is what fueled their yelling as well as the going on an on about things being your fault. When people (and other animals) are angry, they are motivated to hurt the one they are angry at. Anger in nature motivates an animal to fight, that is, to hurt another animal. And so, unfortunately, your parents meant to hurt you, in their own minds and hearts.

Regarding the man: is it possible that, however unrealistic it is, you wish you were this man’s teenage daughter, living in his home, which you imagine to be a loving, supportive home, safe and removed from the one you had?

anita