I thought I’d be celebrating the new year tonight. My humble and obscure little web site hit 12,000 visitors yesterday ~ 2,400 of you in December. Wow! Thank you! I was ecstatic and hopeful that in 2010 I would finally cross the bridge from profound disability to financial self-sufficiency.
But, my mother had other plans. And, I have decided to break down my own walls of silence. I’m sure many of my astute visitors have figured out why I know so much about abuse and the dysfunctions of the system that is supposed to provide safety nets and protection from abuse.
My parents were perpetually citizens of the year ~ highly respected folks who were pillars of their church and community. They were teachers.
Nobody knew what went on behind closed doors. A psychiatrist here in Seattle who has been evaluating mentally disabled people for decades told me several years ago that my history of child abuse and parental neglect was the worst he’d taken. I was stunned. I had been operating under the delusion that my childhood had been fairly idyllic.
He set me straight. He ticked off all the medical attention I should have gotten but didn’t. He told me how multiple untreated concussions can ultimately make it impossible for us to function. It was a very bitter pill to swallow. I wanted to think highly of my parents. I wanted to believe that they loved me and cared about my welfare. I held out hope that one day they might come to love their unplanned and unwelcome child. My father passed away a few years ago never giving me his blessing. He was proud of this accomplishment.
On the anniversary of the day I gave the keynote address at a Fortune 200 company’s international human resources conference, I was told by the unemployment office that I was too profoundly disabled to function in the workplace. I was devastated. I worked very, very hard to recover from Complex PTSD and depression. I relentlessly ferreted out resources and read everything I could find that might help me craft a viable bridge from disability to financial self-sufficiency.
But, I started to notice a consistent pattern. Each time I was about to fly, my mother sabotaged my success. She did it again today. I have a horrid feeling that I won’t recover from this setback. I have a horrid feeling that I will be “warehoused” by the system ~ placed in a crappy apartment and filled with enough pills that I will no longer be congnizant of the fact that I have no chance at ever being financially self-sufficient.
Washington’s Department of Vocational Rehabilitation noticed the same pattern, told me my case was hopeless, and tossed me to the curb. I have been working valiantly for the past few years to prove them wrong. But, they were able to see what I didn’t want to admit: my mother would continue to sabotage me until she finished me off. That’s what narcissists do.
This afternoon I was told that she’s quite concerned about what will happen to my possessions, but she was not remotely interested in what will happen to me. I got the distinct impression that she might possibly be gleeful at the prospect of my becoming a bag lady. And, I suspect my “family” is planning on bringing a truck out here to collect my stuff as the sheriff hauls it out the door.
I believe very strongly that we must all live in nurturing environments if we are to thrive. I have worked very hard with my limited resources to leverage them as creatively and cleverly as possible.
My dear friend Elena Hanajenko took these photos of my home when we celebrated our birthdays together a couple of weeks ago. I thought I would share with you, dear readers, the love and warmth and joy we felt that night. I am so blessed that she opted to record our evening. Tonight I can invite you in for a visit while I still have a home.
Tonight I am wishing all of you, dear readers, a very happy new year that is abundantly blessed.
If anybody has a solid suggestion, kindly leave a comment. I’ve been getting creamed by social service agencies since September and feel very much at the end of my rope. Yes, I know. Put a knot in it and swing.
It seems that absent a crisis they don’t act. Please pray for me, folks.
Thanks everybody for visiting this humble and obscure little site. It has been a tremendous joy to write this blog and know that sometimes my experiences and expertise have helped some of y’all.
Anne Caroline Drake 
This is a crisis and someone must act! I am so sorry that I did not know any of this before now- and I am damned angry that we as women find ourselves in these positions more and more often!
What a miserable state of affairs in this day and age when wonderful human beings are put through hell and somehow manage to survive and then have to tolerate the abuse over and over and have to then withstand the continued bullshit as if to keep them off balance.
Enough- enough! You are a beautiful lady with a kind heart and we need to get you through this without further harm.
Happy New Year – Let’s do this year better My friend – my sister , my heart!
Thanks, Betty Jean. Thanks for everything. You are a true warrior and such an amazingly loving mother that it makes my heart sing.
Let’s hope we’ll find a way to turn this bus around, eh?
Happy new year to you too. . .sending hugs. . .Caroline
Oh Caroline,
I could not believe it when I saw your title…I am so sorry. Our system is so terribly broken. It just doesn’t know how to handle abuse victims, and this seems to empower abusers more than ever. I have a brother and sister in Seattle, but have been estranged from me, thanks to my abuser….who got validity from our father’s rights judge when he gave him sole custody of the children. Have you tried any women’s groups in your area, such as the YWCA, or a women’s shelter that might be able to get you into transitional housing and employment?
I battle with PTSD very badly too, which makes it very hard to be my own advocate. Even harder since the courts have broke me and I am now acting as my own lawyer. I have battled with homelessness off and on for the past several years, much to the delight of my abuser. He has so much child support pulled from my paycheck (he lied about his income, and judge won’t listen to me), that I can’t live, and he makes far, far more than I do. I ended up in a cheap room a couple weeks this fall after having surgery because I started bleeding from my eye, and have been there since, at the risk of having my phone turned off and losing my stuff in storage. So this year I was in my vehicle from the end of Feb. until the end of Oct. You, like I, are probably not in a good enough climate to be in a vehicle (if you even have one), unfortunately I know a few moms living in cars. I will be back out to my vehicle in another month and a half I figure. But what keeps me going is the hope I know I will find some justice. You need to have hope to keep going even though these speed bumps come along. See if any of these types of organizations can help….I will definitely have you in my thoughts and prayers dear.
Nancy
These things happening here in the US is unconcionable- we must put a stop to this NOW! This can not go on – we must unite and fight to help one another – too many of us are in this position- men in power are giving our children to our abusers and tossing us to the wind- women are suffereing PTSD and unable to help themselves in this climate.
something must be done.
TMU will launch today – we must form a group of knowlegable women to work on this this– women who know first-hand and understand this problem and can get to the bottom of what to do.
I need volunteers to head up these comittees .
Let this be the year of the women- the majority united will prevail- My God – we have so much work to do – where do I start ?
Nancy,
I am so humbled that you came to my obscure little site to leave this sensitive comment. I am so in awe at the work that you do. I had no idea you are doing it on such a shoe string and with so many challenges. Seriously, how do you do it? What kills me the most about all this is that I won’t have the money to maintain my site.
I’m also thinking that somebody ought to be paying us for what we do. I certainly don’t have your base of readers. But, I really think that women need the same on-line resources as the “alienation” guys have put together.
I know that Barbara Bentley is contemplating writing a book about litigation abuse. Since she’s already published, she’s got a better chance at getting a second book sold.
What’s going on in the court system IMHO is bullshit. But, it goes on because guys like the one who abused me are state supreme court judges ~ everybody knows what he does behind closed doors, but nobody has the integrity to kick him off the bench ~ he’s quite vulnerable to corruption ~ which makes him quite useful to guys like your ex. You KNOW women aren’t going to get a fair shake when we have criminals for judges.
Don’t get me started about how many of those judges left dinner parties at our house so drunk they had trouble walking to their cars. . .it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why drunk drivers get a slap on the wrist. . .the same is true for abusive judges being brutal with women like you. The corruption is mind-boggling.
My experience with the shelter system has not been positive. My case is complicated so I tend to get “creamed.” I have, however, had good luck with other survivors. They get it. And, most of us are pretty creative and resourceful ~ we’ve had to be.
If you are open to it, maybe we should connect off-line. Maybe these clouds have silver linings after all, eh? The game your ex is playing has been played before. We just need to figure out how to out-smart him. And, then we need to share the secrets of your success with our readers.
Hope you’re new year is happy, Nancy. Thanks for leaving a comment. I’m honored.
Caroline
Hey, BettyJean! How about starting with posting a link to your new site or sending me an e-mail?
Congratulations!
Caroline
Caroline, Nancy,
I often have Lisa Thompson on my show she works for the Salvation Army we talk about what is wrong with the system all the time and have decided that the problem has a lot to do with pure hatred of women based in porn.
They have been raised on it and have become so adicted to sex and porn that they can not be satisfied unless they get sicker and sicker and more and more sadistic – the women jurists involved are either complicit in the sex illness or so involved in keeping their own jobs by playing the man’s game – or maybe woman haters themselves that – we as women do not stand a chance.
so think about it – these guys that are sitting on these beenches and are out layers have been jacking off to this porn which includes sadism all their lives – do you really think they have any respect for us?
just look at the world around us and see what they all grew up to think of women- look at the ads- the songs- the movies- the everything- women are lower than dogs everywhere you look. Now even girls have nothing better to envision from birth about themselves.
Unless we fight its curtains for us as a species! Believe it!
The irony in all this, BettyJean, is that it is women who rear all those little boys.
My own point of view is that porn is merely a symptom of a deeper issue. The Catholic Church was founded on the principle of misogyny. Religion is where most of us get our values and sense of self-worth. We are conditioned to believe that men have value and women don’t. Then, we get beaten up for having low self-esteem. Gimme a break.
Women have been conditioned to compete with each other rather than collaborate. Most of us don’t know how to be true sisters.
Still, enough of us have professional training and expertise. As our generation ages, I think we can become role models to younger women ~ build their confidence so they perceive that their character and brilliance is as valuable as their physical appearance.
And, I think we need to focus more on solutions rather than problems or concerns. We may not have a bag full of marbles, but we certainly know how to leverage scarce resources to the max.
I have faith in the matriarchal model that is flourishing in third world countries. I am encouraged by the success of the White House Project and Eve Ensler’s V-Day movement. And, I’m psyched that the National Network is proceeding with bravado and effectiveness.
Most of those organizations were founded by rebels with a cause. The system didn’t work for them, so they picked up a tiny piece ~ focused on it ~ perfected it ~ grew their bases until the movement went global.
The one thing PTSD has taught me is that I need to be very judicious in how I invest my scarce resources ~ time as well as money.
So, I try to repeat the message: “RESPECT is love” frequently until women are able to internalize it, recognize it, and form more healthy and productive relationships.
Thanks for your support, BettyJean. You are a wonder.
Caroline
Honestly- I am so frustrated – I want to be everywhere all at once – and I simply can not be! I want to scream!
Have you seen my new series I just hit publish on #4 I am doing a 12 part series – it will probably be 20 parts for all the pics I have but I have been on this kick 30 some odd years. between the soft porn the violence against women and the way we have no representation I have all I can do and yet it is not even the top of the iceberg.
This is why 3 years now trying to get TMU going. I must get talented women like you and Nancy and ERA women and VAW gals and someone from every issue and we have got to rile up the entire nation – we must get united somehow.
This is my vision. Not one of us can do it all and all of it needs done but IMAGINE if we all get together united and put our talents and energy together – IMAGINE what we can accomplish?
I IMAGINE it every day.
I see the need. I have all I can do to cover 3 issues – I die when I hear and issue I can not add to my load. and all I want to do is bring you aboard like the ark- and save us all.
What a dream I IMAGINE huh? United issues all of us in under one group with all the issues under their own leaders but with the power of 52% of us behind all of it for all of us! Imagine that! All for one and one for all. Not one of us should fall not one! not one! We do not have to agree on every issue but we have to agree we need the strength of 52% for the sake of womankind! It’s time!
I admire your passion and vision, BettyJean. I think you are feeling frustration because it is a whole lot like herding cats.
Rather than try to do it all myself, my approach is to focus on best practices and to showcase who is doing great things.
I’d like to encourage you to think of TMU as a news network. In this way, you become the central marketplace for ideas ~ a gathering place for dialogue and conversation. It’s what you do best, and it takes minimal resources.
LOL ~ you gonna give us a link to TMU??? So, we can find you???
Oh, how I admire you, BJ.
Caroline
“Don’t get me started about how many of those judges left dinner parties at our house so drunk they had trouble walking to their cars. . .it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why drunk drivers get a slap on the wrist. . .the same is true for abusive judges being brutal with women like you. The corruption is mind-boggling.”
ROFL! My judge was busted for DUI, almost killed someone when he ran into their lane. Was over twice the legal limit. Just weeks before signing order taking away my children for no reason, even though fact that I had been abused by ex was acknowledged in his orders. Judge got hand slapped, that is all from judical commission (one year probation also and a small fine).
Thank you for your kind response. I often go to free Wifi spots and the library to write on my blogs. I spend no money on my blogs, thanks to the free bogs out there. It is almost comical (if not so sad) to see the same people at the library and have befriended a few…they are all homeless. I knew of a blogger I was following last spring that went homeless….his last post was in March 2009 just before losing his home. I think about him sometimes and wonder if he is okay. A library can keep you connected with your blog, and I hope you do.
I would love to connect with you.
Sending major hugs your way….
Nancy
Hi, I have not flipped through the rest of your blog as of yet, so having read only this post I am not sure of your entire situation. I did want to leave you a comment though to let you know that I think since you have come this far you will make it through this one more thing as well. You seem to be a very intelligent lady!
I too have severe PTSD (among other things) and am disabled from the combination of several things; PTSD being the chief one. I have PTSD due to different reasons (military service in combat zones) than yours; but I am also an abuser survivor (childhood and in adulthood)…so I do understand much of where you are coming from.
I have yet to speak out about the abuse I suffered as a child and actually point the finger and say “You did this to me and you did that to me and it was all wrong and abusive”. My dad was the abusive one, my mom protected us kids as best she could until she got us outta there!
I am currently staying with my dad after all these years, and of all things I am here willingly to help him. But, I open my eyes each morning with the thought in my head that today could be the day that he decides he is kicking me out.
He is still verbally abusive to me, but I no longer fear him like I did as a child…because I am stronger now for the path that I have walked. I think he knows this because he will only push so much and then backs off when he sees that I am about to walk.
Please stay strong in the knowledge that you are not alone in your struggles. I am sending positive energy your way along with some prayers that your opportunities to thrive are shown to you.
I have no immediate answers for how you can gain financial assistance in starting your life over, I wish I did! I have joined a couple of affiliate programs to attempt to earn some extra money myself, but since I just started yesterday I have no way of knowing if they will pay off.
I wish that I had a good phone connection that I could give you my number but up here in the mountains I get no service on my cell…and try to use my dad’s phone as little as possible.
Just know that I am thinking about you and praying for you!
Cyber hugs,
Mary
Mary,
Thank you for your concern, for visiting my little site, and for leaving a comment. I hope you’ll come back. My sense is that the Complex-PTSD veterans are experiencing will lead to break-throughs in treatment for the rest of us. By taking on the terrorists, our soldiers will ultimately liberate kids who experienced child abuse (domestic terrorism) back at home.
I am most intrigued by the value of companion/service animals and the potential for hypnotherapy.
I don’t recall where I read or heard this, but someone has done research which indicates soldiers who experienced abuse as children are far more vulnerable to combat-related Complex PTSD. This makes sense. Each traumatic event leaves us a little less resilient until we’re like a ball that has been bounced so many times it has gone flat.
The other thing I’ve noticed is that we tend to become uber-resourceful, warrior women.
I was never able to get on equal footing with my parents. . .both were horrendously abusive and neglectful. They never hit me. So, I didn’t realize until it was probably too late that they were brutalizing me with their words, their facial expressions, and their callous indifference.
So, your comment about not being afraid of your father is quite insightful and helpful. I’m terrified of my mother. And, nobody has EVER held her accountable. In fact, the mental health professionals who are supposed to be helping me seem to be her ideal co-conspirators. They helped her throw me under this bus by their callous indifference to my welfare and lack of respect for my stated goals.
I am happy for you that you at least got a loving mother. This makes so much difference.
If you are inclined to visit the rest of my posts, Mary, I would love to receive feedback on whether the information here is helpful and easy to navigate. If you have suggestions, I would love to hear them.
In closing, I am delighted that some women veterans are banding together to demand justice and the benefits they have earned. It may be the start of the sisterhood that BettyJean is trying to launch. If you scroll down the comments, you will find a link to her site. She had a couple of guests on her blogtalk radio show several months ago who are effectively lobbying on behalf of female veterans.
I will pray for you too, Mary. I especially pray that your father will open his heart to you to give you the love you richly deserve. May we both be abundantly blessed in 2010.
Sending cyber hugs back to you,
Caroline
Nancy,
Why am I not surprised? I’ve taken the liberty of deleting your e-mail address and phone number. I’ll be e-mailing you later today. My sense was that we need to “Vernetta” your judge and bring in the Family Violence Prevention Fund.
There is a judge out here who denied bail to a couple of punks who killed a stray dog. . .the animal rights folks packed the courtroom and demanded justice. This same judge let a guy out on bail who had allegedly raped his daughter. Nobody packed the courtroom to lobby on her behalf.
Everybody’s paying attention now because this same perpetrator assassinated four cops in a coffee shop. And, this is the same county court system that let the DC Sniper walk.
When another child abuser killed a fifth cop about a month later, the politicians finally woke up. But, they’re still trying to minimize domestic violence. Arrggghh.
The judge who put the gun to my head and told me he could kill me and “get away with it” was elected to his state’s supreme court on the platform that he had “extensive experience in family and child abuse.” Nobody told the voters it was hands-on experience.
The same attorney who moved heaven and earth to find me to keep him off the federal bench because of his abuse of women was running the campaign of his most viable opponent. But, she didn’t say a word. It seems her guy tossed his hat in the ring without being committed to winning. ALL of his opponents knew about the abuse. The state bar knew about the abuse. The press knew about the abuse. But, they conspired to keep silent because the “wrong guy” would get elected.
Excuse me??? And, a serial abuser is the best they can do in a state full of lawyers for supreme court justice??? Gimme a break. Nancy, you don’t have to tell me about judicial corruption. I’ve seen way too much of it up close and very personally. I resigned from the practice of law because ethics constraints prohited me from talking about it.
LOL ~ Oprah knows about the guy too ~ her jaw dropped to the floor when I told her my story. But, she steadfastly refuses to shine a bright light on the bullshit. That’s a whole other story for another day.
Yes, Nancy, I think we need to “Vernetta” your judge. Yep.
It is impossible to get computer time here. The libraries are packed. And, there’s no wi-fi that I know about. Crap. I think I’m going to have to lobby Comcast to see if they’ll give me free service in exchange for an ad on my site.
Sending cyber hugs,
Carolyn
I needed some sleep- I have been very ill this week now I have my grandson ill yikes 0 soon the whole house will be passing it back through.
Anyway – yes- as I started to say yesterday – dogs get better treatment than women. As you may or may not recall- my daughter was brutally shot in the head by my son-in-law while caring for her dying sister. The bastard was out on his own recog without bail after beating my dying 80 pound dying daughters bald head in for her pain pills 6 months earlier . He go out in 3 months and terrorized her daily until we had to take turms defending and protecting her ourselves. In a rage he broke in while my youngest daughter was caring for her sister and blew her brains out with a shoitgun at close range! His lawyer is not trying to bargain sown that charge since she didn’t die – she will lay lie this for maybe 40 years – he wants out in 5 years!
We need to pack the courts – we need to pack every damned court room for every women who is assauloted from today on. Every woman and child needs our support every damned lawyer and judge needs to know that the women of America are coming after them from today on!
Look what happened in NY with Senator MonsterRat.
Nancy you have been on my show- how about Monday again- lets get this started AGAIN!
Carolyn- yes links- more than that- let’s unite.
Mary we need to know where all the help is or can be. but more than that we need every woman ready and willing to show up at the court rooms!
We need to blog like crazy!
My site is coming – I will get back to you later very sick still give me a day.
Being on your show again would be great BettyJean…the Battered Mothers Custody Conference is going to be in New York next weekend. I would like to talk about it. Just confirm the time and call in number to my email rightsformothers@gmail.com and I will send back the number I will call in on.
Yes, I have also seen that being abused prior to experiences in combat zones leads to a higher chance of getting combat related PTSD. I can see where that would be true, as the human mind can only take so much before it breaks!
I have spent a little more time (still not enough to read everything) here looking around your site. I think what you have done and are doing is fantastic! Some really good information that you are sharing out to others.
Thank you for your prayers and well wishes!
Thoughts and prayers to you Caroline, your home is wherever YOU are!
Oh, Lorraine, thank you. I’m in such awe of your work. I’m feeling so blessed because the people whose work I admire so much have been leaving messages of support. It is even more meaningful because y’all have been here and moved on to thrive and find joy.
May you be blessed abundantly in 2010,
Caroline
Thanks, Mary. The BEST thing that has come out of this shizza is that I have learned of your amazing site. I’ve added it to my blogroll and will be visiting it frequently to add fuel to my spiritual tank. I’m SO glad you are blogging again.
I had a very productive chat with RitaAnita Linger this afternoon, and I’m feeling much more confident that there’s a rainbow waiting for me at the other side of this deep, dark valley.
Your comment about your relationship with your father was the BEST advice I’ve gotten in decades. I’ve been reflecting on it all afternoon. Wow! So, thank you. Bless you.
The sisterhood that we hold is nothing less than divinity.
We have all been through the fire(s) and we are reborn from the ashes. We may be abused again but we will never be broken!
I wish I only lived a stones throw from any one of my sisters….then we could hug, cry and laugh..then laugh some more!
BettyJean, I’m so sorry to hear you aren’t feeling well. You work your tail off. You must be so exhausted. I hope you and your family will be well soon.
You will be happy to hear that I spoke to RitaAnita Linger this afternoon about your vision. She starts her new job on Monday.
The upside of this shizza is that we’ve all connected over it. IMHO, I think we’ve got the waterfront covered. I’m going to pledge to do the best practices piece. And, I think I’m going to add a page to my web site directing traffic to viable on-line help. We need to beat the perpetrators at their own game. And, we need to make it easier for women who need help to find it.
Sending cyber hugs to you and best wishes for a speedy recovery. I’ll “see you” on the radio tomorrow night ~ sounds like a GREAT program.
WOW! I am humbled! Thank you for a link in your blogroll. I have been working on a new list of blogs to put up that are done by those survivors that are sharing their experiences with others in a positive way. I added yours to that list last night after I clicked around through it, so cool that we were both thinking the same thing! LOL
I am glad that something I said gave you reason to think about things in a different light.
I’m glad that your chat with RitaAnita went well and that you are now looking towards the rainbow at the end of your tunnel that you so richly deserve.
Blessings to you!
Yes, Mary, I get the sense that you and I are on very similar missions. You are, however, further along the path. I cannot begin to tell you how good it feels to no longer be blazing this trail alone. I’m not a pioneer by nature.
I’m wondering if you’d be willing to have me interview you or to write a guest column for my life rafts section.
Also, Oprah’s producers are looking for people like you to be on her show ~ you’re point of view meshes perfectly with her own.
You’ve given me clarity about something that has frustrated me for decades. Yesterday afternoon, I realized ALL my therapists didn’t have the courage to deal with my reality. Their fear blocked my ability to get effective treatment. LOL ~ you know it’s a bad therapy day when the client is counseling the therapist about fear, denial, and dealing with reality!
I discovered a long time ago that we get the best help from fellow survivors. Now, I understand exactly how and why this is true. People who have not stared down the barrel of a gun and lived to tell the tale just don’t get what it takes to survive. I’m thinking of the brave 16-year-old girl near Eatonville, WA who had to rescue two armed police officers during a close-range shoot-out with her daddy. They were there to protect her, but she ended up having to protect them. She had better survival instincts. She had more courage.
This morning I printed out RCW 9A.32.055. I’m thinking it is time to be clear with the people who are being PAID to help me: my mother’s conduct is criminal. . .a class A felony.
Nancy – I have an opening on the radio tonight!
How about tonight? NANCY – Mon. 10 pm Eastern
Call-In Number: ( 347 ) 838-8011
Nancy – we do not use your last name on the radio right – just remind me ?
Better yet just send me some notes to promote this and remember to promote it to all your blogs too.
And I invite you other ladies to join us tonight.
Caroline- How did things go today – I am so worried for you?
Did you get the help you needed – Lord please do not be homeless roday! We have go to start a group at TMU to halp omen find work so they never have to facxe homelessness! This will have to be one of our very first priorities! You have inspiried me!
Point me to Mary’s blog- I would like to meet her too!
And I am going to redo my links so I need a new list !
Carol…I just got the card I sent you for Christmas “returned to sender.” I got on your website to leave a message when I saw what was going on in your life. I can’t believe this is still going on! I remember life at 600 Freeman in Carbondale. I remember the conversations about your life growing up. I am so sorry that this hell is going on after all of this years. Please get in contact to let me know what is going on.
Hey, BettyJean. I am SO glad you left your comments.
We had a DV-related murder here yesterday. . .10 feet from my car.
Today SUCKED. I fired my doctor, and I fired my case manager.
The good news is that a new case manager just called, and I didn’t miss your show. I get so confused on a good day as to when it is on. . .today. . .fer-gid-about-dit. Did I get the NY accent right?
The BEST news is that my college roommate ~ who is fabulous ~ left a message with her e-mail address. I bawled myself some happy tears over it.
OMG, Janie! Hearing from you is the best gift EVER! I bawled my eyes out when I read your message.
Do you know that I use the Cross pen you gave me when I finished law school EVERY single day to scribble in my journal? I think of you every morning as I sit down with my cuppa coffee and hope you are doing well.
Sorry to hear the card was returned. Our postal delivery guy is out on extended medical leave. So, whether we get mail or not turns on whether the substitute decides to work or be lazy.
Your comment shakes my foundation. When we were at Freeman, I was absolutely operating under the delusion that my childhood was about as idyllic as it could get. It was decades later before I realized abuse isn’t love. But, you knew. You knew. Wow!
Pingback: Review: Tyler Perry’s MADEA’S BIG HAPPY FAMILY in Seattle « Anne Caroline Drake·