“It’s been a challenge. It was hard enough to demolish just one little part. It hurt everyone, including me. To make up for it, I let them form a new image of me. It’s been a constant struggle. I’ll always feel love for them and have basic needs to be met, so it takes courage to draw the line. But if I don’t, my love for them and my needs will become bargaining chips that I have to exchange for my independence. And using those would be like retreating before the battle’s even begun.” I didn’t feel the least bit inhibited telling them about my family. The more I shared, the more open I felt.
