Footsteps To Freedom

It is important to heal every day.  Sometimes we think our lives are fine because there are no surface issues happening. But in this world, there is always something that will arise and show us that there is still work to do. For a long time after my healing process began, I thought my life was fine as it was. But when I started studying for my license and working on my internship. I realized my despair stemmed from my upbringing. I lived in chaos and craziness. I am sure it was not by choice but that is the way it turned out. I grew up in a dysfunction atmosphere and things were always tense or uncertain or at least that is how I felt in my childhood. For a long time, I felt like I was walking on eggshells. I never felt good about who I was.  I was smart and loved but I always felt alone. I am sure this came from the abuse I endured. I was unable to be the child I was supposed to be.

Therefore, it is important to be different parents today. Our children must be seen and heard.  We cannot allow people to silence our children’s pain. We must believe our children when they tell us hard and painful things. We must be initiative-taking in our children’s lives and not try and live vicariously through them. We must build trust in our relationships with our children.

We must be available to our children; this helps dissipate the dysfunctional atmosphere. There is trickery going on in the atmosphere. The enemy has a way of keeping our children bound by causing chaos in the lives of whom they depend on. Women were not meant to work as much as they do. Men were not supposed to be absent from the home. We start to tell our young men, “You are the man of the house now.” This can be confusing. How can we tell them they are “the man” of the house and then send them to school to act like children? We must be advocates for our children and be firm with them. We must hold them accountable and do this with love.

I am sure that if I had not endured somethings I did growing up, I would be a different person. I am not sorry for my childhood, and I do not blame anyone for the things that happened in my childhood. I understand now that the things I went through, I had to, to be able to live in my purpose. I am grateful that someone was praying for me all through my childhood. And God heard their prayers. I am here today, and I have been able to embrace my scars.

Our children have enough to do through in this society. They should not have to learn to heal from childhood trauma and dysfunction. We must give our children the opportunity to be the absolute best they can be. We must stay close and be parents. Not our children’s friends. Children love discipline and boundaries, and we must be strong enough to enforce those boundaries at all costs.

We want to work towards eliminating dysfunctional families and we can start by being functional and available parents to our children.