Show me a girl who grew up with a father who loved her and expressed his love through patience, kindness, gentleness, consistency, and love for her mother… and I will show you a woman who is confident and secure.

I feel like I missed out on something not having a father who was there for me. He was there in my earlier years, but our home was so dysfunctional. He was an angry man and didn’t express love to us. I never really felt he loved me, sometimes I felt he hated me.

One of the things I promised myself is when I grow up things are going to be different. I will be out from under him and I will be happy and free.

Well, I did get out, but I wasn’t free and I wasn’t happy. Because all the years of damage, abuse, and fear… I took with…