WOW
WOW....I just had an amazing conversation with my mom. My mom grew up with an alcoholic father. He wasn't home most of the time because he was a truck driver, but when he would come home he would be drunk and mean. My mom has 2 brothers and 4 sisters making a total of 7 children. The first four children, my aunt gina, uncle kenny, aunt connie, and aunt karen were beat by my grandfather on a regular basis. He would come home drunk again and beat them with the buckle part of his belt, leaving them with bruses and welts starting at the nape of their neck and lead to the tops of their socks. At one point in time he threatened my grandma with a shot gun, and another he pushed her over the vacuume. My grandma learned to never let the children stay home with their father the hard way. One day my grandma needed to get some new shoes, so she asked my grandpa to watch the kids for 30 min. She wasn't gone long, but when she returned she came in to see two kids sitting in one chair, and two sitting in another crying their eyes out, while my grandfather lay sleeping on the couch. From then on my grandma pushed all her needs and wants aside to be home with her children to ensure their safety. By the time my uncle kevin, my mom, and my aunt nancy came along, the beatings had ceased, but the verbal abuse was still there. With the older kids grown and out of the house, my grandfather unleashed on the younger children leaving them all with low self-esteeme and horrible memories. It was a regular routine for my grandma to gather the 3 youngest children when it was time for my grandpa to come home and leave the house until they knew he would be asleep. It was never ending fear that my mom lived in every day....and for that I have no words. All I know, is even when the times are bad, chances are someone, somewhere has it much worse. Pray, and let god's will be done.
~Jaime~