Thursday, February 6th, 2014 will always be the day where you were taken too soon and my life changed forever. In one morning, I had to face the fact that I would have to accept the unimaginable, leave my old life behind and start looking at life from a different point of view, one where you were no longer with us. I had known no other life without you and it physically hurt to think about living this way.
It's been two years since I answered the door that morning only to find out that my little brother had passed away. One look at our cousin, who had been sent to get me, and somehow I instantly knew that it was you. She didn't have to say anything, something clearly was not right, and I had this overwhelming feeling that you were gone. In that single moment, my world instantly came...
Family
When I was young I looked up to my father. He had a great job, a successful career, he traveled around the world and generally he was a good father. I wanted to emulate the success that he had. Although I may have never said it directly to him, I had always thought it.
Note the title of this letter as I am not writing it to you the horrible monster that has taken over again (i.e.-the current iteration of Mr. George Froehlich). I am writing it to the man who took action and took control of his demons some 14-15 years ago and got the help he needed. I was proud of you for that achievement and for the life you recovered into. I was happy to have you enjoy time with my kids, because you were good at it and put the time in with them.
The man I used to know loved to cook, and...
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An Open Letter to Disney World.
To whom it may concern:
My son, Nikolas was in your parks during Christmas break 2015. He was there with his aunt, he was there with an annual pass I purchased for him, and he was there because of his love for Disney World. He was not there however with an adequate disability pass, because as we know it was decided that due to the unfortunate corruption of a few, my son and others with disabilities/ special needs (visible or not) have had to pay the price by no longer being properly and appropriately accommodated.
My son has a developmentally delayed form of autism. He struggles with certain aspects of everyday life and becomes extremely anxious in certain situations.
Doctors, therapists, teachers and science have declared my son to be a "...
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I write this more for me, then for you. Granted I wouldn't mind you seeing this and I wouldn't mind it ripping you to pieces like you ripped me into two pieces, but its just stuff I can't just say out loud to someone. As I look back to my childhood when I was around you I can't recall having any memories that I'm fond of. With all the yelling and fighting I saw when I was around you it's crazy that I'm not crazy like you. Granted I was taken away when I was three, but as I got older my question was always " why did she give up on her only daughter? "
And now I'm 18 years old,...
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To my husband, the addict. I understand you've battled and fought this horrible addiction for many years. I married you knowing that. I married you thinking the love from me and my son would somehow magically fix you. I also married you understanding that it's a daily struggle for the rest of our lives. I thought "I'm strong. I can handle this. I was so wrong on every single level. Even on the levels I never imagined or thought. I do realize that, in some twisted way, I've become an enabler by allowing you to continue coming home after you every few months binges in which you would leave home for about a week at a time.
Then things were back to normal. It was always in the back of my head wondering when the next time would be. The next time me and my son would endure the pain of you...
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Dear Auckland Drivers,
I am one of you and I’m a regular bicycle commuter. For the last few years a bicycle has been my most regular method of traveling the 12km between my home and work. I do the trip in all weather, but the fact that I’m a guy on a bike doesn’t define me. I am also a husband, father, son, brother, nephew, friend to many, and a work colleague. I’m a Christian Minister and I serve an organisation working to help the world’s poorest. These things make me who I am more than the fact that a bicycle is one of my chosen modes of transport.
I want you to know that I listen to you on radio talkback and I read the comments you leave at online news articles, on Facebook pages, and on blogs, and many of you scare me. You also scare me on the road.
Before I get into that...
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An Open Letter to My Mother-In-Law
I have only been married to your son for a little over a year now, but the problems did not start with the marriage. They began years before the marriage. I have heard countless horror stories of relationships with mothers-in-law. It seems to be such a trend that a simple Google search can find you ample amounts of jokes trying to pull humor out of the terrible relationships that some people have with their in-laws. I will be honest; I have spent some of my free time delighting in those jokes. I have referred to you as my “monster-in-law” then joked it off as a “typo”. I have used the word “hate” to describe how I feel about you. I have spent countless hours crying over you and wishing you were not a part of my life. Today, I write this (whether you...
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An Open Letter to My Mother-In-Law
I have only been married to your son for a little over a year now, but the problems did not start with the marriage. They began years before the marriage. I have heard countless horror stories of relationships with mothers-in-law. It seems to be such a trend that a simple Google search can find you ample amounts of jokes trying to pull humor out of the terrible relationships that some people have with their in-laws. I will be honest; I have spent some of my free time delighting in those jokes. I have referred to you as my “monster-in-law” then joked it off as a “typo”. I have used the word “hate” to describe how I feel about you. I have spent countless hours crying over you and wishing you were not a part of my life. Today, I write this (whether...
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Our friendship may have lasted for only less than a year, but it was the best months of my entire life. I knew you before you ever moved to our high school, I was your first friend in this tiny town in which you moved. We did summer school together while you were up for the summer and may I say, it was a blast! When school started, the only reason I was happy was because you got to go to school with me. I was so happy that I would see my best friend in the hallways everyday and have classes with her..you.
I sacrificed so many things for you. I had many friends before you moved here that I shut out after you came. You were the only one I was focused on, the only one I wanted to hang out with.
We had sleepovers every weekend, hung out after school every day, and always told...
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You broke my heart when I was 10 years old.
I remember it like it was yesterday. It was a normal Friday. I saw your red Toyota pull up to the bottom of the driveway and dad sent me, my brother and my sister out the front door. He never walked down to talk to you. You broke his heart a long time ago. My sister is crying and my brother is pleading to stay and I’m quiet, as usual. I’m the only one that you haven’t hurt yet.
When I get in the car you smile as if you are actually happy to see us. As you pull away I see dad waving us goodbye crying, as he does every other Friday when we have to leave. This Friday is different though because you just moved into a new house with your new boyfriend to start your new life. The house is a lot farther than the old one and it’s in the middle...
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