4/2003

(I'm 18 at this time)
It was a Sunday afternoon in April 2003. I was 18 at the time. I don’t remember now what started it, all I remember is my dad yelling at me like he did all the time. He told me, as he had many times before, “Get out of MY house!”. For the first time I left. My mom and sister begged me not to leave, but I did. I drove around crying and confused. What should I do? Who could I turn to for help?

I found myself at my seminary teacher’s house (Sister Parker). I was standing there crying when she answered the door. She invited me in and asked what was wrong. I told her that my dad has just kicked me out. We went into her living room and talked. As she talked she asked me if my dad ever hit me, I told her no. Then she asked, “But, he verbally abuses you?” I told her, Yes. It was the first time in my life I had admitted it, even to myself that my dad was verbally abusive.

Sister Parker told me that I needed to tell my bishop. This was SO hard for me! I thought a lot about it and I knew she was right. Finally I went to my bishops house and asked to talk to him. We went into his office and talked. I can't remember a single thing either of us said, but it was that day that I started to trust him. That was the beginning of my road to healing.