Relationships, A Series: Part Six — The Storm Starts Brewing

“It is really sad to read just how brainwashed I still was during this. A lot of my honest reactions weren’t until later, much, much later after the original incident. I still believed that my dad was going to do right in this relationship, I still believed that fathers were supposed to rule over their children’s relationships, and that it was my job to trust my dad and sit back and be a good girl.”

Relationships, A Series: Part Five — To My Darling Clementine

“My parents didn’t seem to care, or give any thought to us, and the friends who were all buzzed about the drama to begin with soon gave up and the story was no longer a new and exciting piece of drama in their dull lives. One a small handful of people really stuck with me through the entire journey. This story isn’t just about Phil and I, it is also a sad reminder of all of the friends we lost along the way.”

Relationships, A Series: Part Four — To Lose One’s Best Friends

“I know some people can look at what my husband and I went through as trivial and unremarkable, but for us, it was hell. It was frustrating. It was enough to make us both lose faith in family. Phil still won’t talk about what happened, nor does he like being reminded of it.”

Relationships, A Series: Part Three — The Calm Before The Storm

“Phil made me feel safe. There really is no other way to put it, other than that he truly makes me feel safe, protected. As I write this I can only think of how much this miraculous man has kept life in me and has committed himself to loving me with all that he is. He has done nothing but firmly stuck with me through some of the worst parts in my life. “

Relationships, A Series: Part Two — We Were Best Friends

“As I have been working through things with my therapist, the more I am seeing life, my life, from another deeper and wider perspective. What I am seeing is a very comforting picture, and one that makes me proud to say that yes, this is my life. I haven’t, to my memory, ever before been able to say, ‘yay, I love my life!’ at any moment before this.”

Relationships, A Series: Part One — What is Courtship?

“I grew up ‘broken.’ Some normal girlish part of me has never quite worked. I never had any dreams about getting married, nor did I have any idea of what a relationship for me would look like. About 6 years later, I found myself in a relationship, and it was going a heck of a lot differently than any of the ‘courtship’ books said a relationship was supposed to go.”