2) After surviving the worst most horrific experiences imaginable I looked back over my life and realized God never abandoned me, not once. He was the One carrying me through it the entire time and I never even knew at the time.

For me it's about not giving the person that hurt me so much power over me that I let them steal more of my life or my joy. They took enough from me already and I am not going to willingly GIVE them more. "Power perceived is power achieved." Brad Thor

I want to add that I forgave my parents for their physical and emotional abuse but to this very day they refuse to speak to me. Instead they continued to protect & glorify my older brother who sexually abused me & went on to abuse others before he died last year.

I will always mourn the family I wished that I had growing up. But I went on to create one of my own that was the complete opposite. The ripples of this carried on through my children who too were ostracized by my relatives and grew up without any real family.

To this day my cousins get married and have children but I do not get wedding invitations, I do not get phone calls. It's easier to shove away the victim than to stand up to the abusers. Few people from my family even showed up at Tiffany's funeral.

The only people who stood by me are my sister cousin who lived in my house growing up and witnessed most of my abuse and my Nanny who also has paid the price for supporting me and the family has essentially abandoned her too.

Sadly, this happens more in society than it doesn't. Children in homes with abusive family members should be protected at all costs especially when it's difficult. If you know of a child in your family who is being abused, be their voice and don't shut them out.

I was at my Nanny's a few weeks ago with my grandchildren, her great great grandchildren. My dad showed up to mow the lawn (since he now owns her home long story but it's not nice either). My grandchildren asked who he was and I told them your great grandfather.

They both became excited to see a family member that the didn't know desperately wanting family connections after losing their mother so young. They smiled and waved at my Dad on the riding mower. He looked right at them and turned his head, never acknowledging either one.

I spent the next hour in the car explaining to them that no Great Grampa doesn't hate them. These are the ripples of hate and division that a single pebble of hate dropped in a pond can start that fan out and span across generations.

I have struggled and put together a life of my choosing. I have never had family support nor have I ever had any help from them financially or otherwise. A small piece of me will always mourn what I never had but I made the choice to look at and rejoice for what I do have.

No matter how bad things get I can always find one thing to be thankful for. In your everyday life, no matter how bad of a day you are having look around you and find one good thing. It can change your life, believe me I know.

@c0lettea May God Bless you .☝️🙏🙏🙏❤

@c0lettea Being through several of my own trials, I just can't imagine not having God walking next to me. Besides rape, drug abuse from pain, I was healed after 8 YEARS from an "incurable neurological condition". I actually prayed for cancer over what I was going through. God did answer

@c0lettea @lucy_bconner This is insanely beyond extraordinary peace loving heart. Amazing. High spirited encouragement from you to Express love for humanity. 👏👏👏👌👍🙏💞

@c0lettea ♥️♥️♥️

@c0lettea I admire people like you, Virginia. You have been through so much and you keep hanging in there. You are not a quitter, and you are an inspiration to us all.

@c0lettea They say God doesn’t give us anything we can’t bear; rather, I think He helps us bear what we are given. God bless you. Keep the faith

@c0lettea 😢🤗🙏 my heart hurts for you in all that you’ve been through and your unbelievable loss and yet you are such a beautiful testimony to Gods Love and grace, holding you up in prayer 🙏