EA,
What can I say?? You are amazing!!!

My abusers were never confronted and the ones that were supposed to be my protectors mostly just wanted to keep peace in the "family".

I too had a mother that was unable to deal with my issues and ignored them. After my Dad killed himself she was just too wrapped up in her own pain and trying to keep a roof over our heads (which I will always love and respect her for). But she would never talk to me about the CSA from my "uncle" and later from a "neighbor". I was 8 too and now I am 46. My abusers are dead and one of the last conversations I had with my Mom was trying to get my "answers"....it ended with "why are you doing this to me"....she died 2 weeks later..

Catherine is right.....we will probably never get our answers, but need to accept that it happened..it was wrong..we were not protected..

I applaud you for your honesty with you Mom and for your wisdom in seeing that you have to distance yourself. That is very difficult to do. I live with the guilt of having to do that but, I think they must (and I have to believe this) feel guilty for not protecting us and their defense mechanism is either denial or "just get over it".

Children are precious and should be protected because they are "easy targets" for the evil in this world.

You are doing a good thing for yourself and the people you will help!! So much better than an uncomfortable turkey dinner!!!

(((EA))) You have my admiration!