Not understanding was not an excuse to not act...

It sounds like a hippy-dippy idea from the ’70s about “peace, man.” But I see it as a tool to disembark from that crazy train I jump on...

... I was willing to try anything to help him. Little did I know it would require having an open mind.

It felt like a betrayal as I enacted my plan, but for his safety and mine, I had to do more....

I would fight for my kid, even if it meant fighting my husband...

Christmastime brought feelings of guilt that I was not “allowed” to celebrate while he was suffering...

somewhere within his motivation is some right in his thinking...

I now see how it wasn’t unpredictable, just unrecognizable. And with that knowledge, I am confident it will be recognizable earlier...

Rules without a relationship is a very lonely place to be...

I learned his values had not changed even though his taste in music did...

With one word, he heard that I cared about him...

Once I allowed myself to be vulnerable and to trust others with my story, I felt a kinship with them I would never have expected...

Similar to a mama bear protecting her cub, I will fight for my family until there is no breath left for me to do so...