Avaa:

I am so sorry that you went through that. Its very hard to know that your mother doesn't care enough to hang around. It'll now be their cross to bear. I know now, but not at the time, that it was my mother's fault and not mine. As a child, I blamed myself. I must've been bad for her not to love me. But then, it just sorta hit me one day, IT'S NOT MY FAULT. I use that phrase alot (Ozzie beat it into my head. lol.) when I think about my childhood abuse.

Oh stepmothers are very bad sometimes. Not all of them, but apparently we have something in common, and unfortunately ours were. It's so hard to know that someone dislikes you because of something you cannot control. My stepmother #2 is still around and is now trying to mend a relationship with me (I'm 27) and I am thinking of letting her. I have nothing to do with my mother unless she turns into a child and needs something. The roles switched with her long ago, but that is a very long and ugly story

I've just been really gunshy about trying to strike up new relationships with the same people that last time around were so horrible. Life is too short and I plan to live mine as peacefully and as happily as I can.

I am so very sorry. I want to give your inner child a big mega squishy SAFE hug, if you don't mind hugs.
(((((((((((((((((((Avaa and her inner child)))))))))))))))))))))))))))

I am sending good healing thoughts your way.
Take Care,
Kimberly.