* I remember my entire life being told what I was feeling and the reasons why I was doing things. My protests of correction fell on deaf ears, and of course their reasons never had anything to do with my neurodivergency. It was always due to my assumed intentional laziness or disrespect.

Spoiler alert: I’m an undiagnosed autistic spectrum person, have been my whole life. I see the world differently and my family has never understood me, but other people understand me so I know I’m not the crazy one.

* I remember running home from the bus stop in tears terrified of the bullies on the bus, and the reaction I got was “you can’t change someone else’s actions but you can change your reaction” and “I was bullied too but I didn’t let it bother me and I turned out fine.” No comforting hug, no assurance that it wasn’t my fault… just always something else I “needed” to add to my to do list.

* I remember protesting and putting up a funk as kids do 90% of the time, and him lobbing his keys at the Christmas tree. They missed the tree and put gouges in and black marks on the wall. Every time I caught a glimpse at the visible scars on the wall it made me shudder and my heart dropped as it triggered the invisible scars on my brain and heart.