Hugs and thank you to both of you.  I’m not working today and though it’s almost midday, I have had to go back to bed. Staff meeting yesterday. We had 3 full-time workers off last week and 2 of our 6 clients with COVID so was exhausting.

I will reply properly later when I have gotten up and showered.

I also wanted to say that despite receiving the same type of abuse as you both, as I read your words, I wanted to punch out both your parents and mine too.  How dare they.

I have no doubt you were both beautiful children.  One of my dogs, I’m quite obsessed with and diet on was very obviously neglected when I got her couple years ago.  I don’t know if she was physically abused – she is so happy, it’s hard to imagine. I wondered if my doting on her is because I feel such love for neglected and abused animals. They are so easy to love and so deserving of kindness. Perhaps so see myself in her and in caring for her, I am caring for myself.  My parents did not like animals and would not permit us to have any.

So much of what happened, I cannot write about. I did discuss in therapy, but it will always be painful. My mother is 85 now and frail. She is losing her mind with dementia.

I could never have treated my child as I was treated. I suppose my son and I are close despite living maybe 350kms from each other. Still, when he was young, I struggled with feeling too unworthy of such a beautiful child.  I spoilt him – but he has grown up to be very confident and is living his dream life.