Mama, no, he never laid a hand on me. I think he knew better than to hit an adult who could go after him full force. It got to the point where I wished he'd hit me so I could go to the cops with some PHYSICAL evidence of his abuse. I think I even provoked him towards the end, it was that important for me to have proof, no matter how painful the proof would have been to get. Sick, isn't it?

I'm making strides to deal with the past and move ahead with my life, and to ensure that the kids know how to deal with him in a healthy way and not be afraid to alert someone to whatever abuse he sends their way, emotional or physical. However, in the course of dealing with it, I know a lot of pains are going to be resurrected that I thought I'd gotten over, but are most likely just buried. That's why I'm here. I'm going to need reassurance that this temporary pain is going to be worth it in the long run, because this is pain with a GOOD purpose.