This I Believe…The Healing Power of Time
“Time heals all wounds.” Whether they are big or small, if time is allowed for reflection and healing, things will get better. I’ve only lived a short while, but I already believe that no matter what painful or shocking things happen, the pain can and will ease. What doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger after all.
I’m a regular American girl living in the tourist hotspot, Cape Cod. Nothing particularly amazing happens here, and I don’t do anything that could be called amazing. I live what you could call an average life. I go to a typical high school, have a few good friends, and spend most of my time reading, talking to my boyfriend, or watching movies. My parents have been divorced for years and rarely talk to each other, like many others I know. I’ve gone through the teenage heartbreak of losing a High School Sweetheart and the drama that goes with it, and survived.
My dad is currently going through the motions of his second divorce. This time it’s with my step-mother whom I have known and loved very much for the past fifteen years. The wound that I am trying to work through now is forgiving him for causing this breakup to happen. It has shattered what I have known and loved for most of my life. The emotional and physical bruises that he has given my step-mom over the years aren’t easily forgivable. The climax of the abuse happened not too long ago when I was awakened during the early, dark morning. What had woke me were the sounds of bodies crashing hard into furniture and angry, drunken yells from upstairs. There would be no more sleeping for me that night. I lay curled up under my blanket on my temporary bed that was the couch. The shouting and slamming continued for a few hours before my father finally fell asleep. Soon after my step-mother came downstairs followed by one of my sisters to explain to me what was happening and that she and my dad were through. What he has done to her (and to my family) has forced him to go into therapy and anger management to hopefully become a better person and able to have healthier relationships. These experiences are what have shaped me into the person I am now, and will continue to do so throughout my life. Even though they are painful, I am grateful for them. They have made me a stronger person; this will help me later in life when I face even tougher obstacles. I never used to be able to imagine that any one person could cause so much hurt and confusion, so when it happens I’m still surprised. However, I still continue to believe that with time my family and I will be able to work through this. We will overcome it. We will heal.