Dear Matt,

     If your dad and I hadn’t divorced, and he was still alive, we’d be married 32 years today.  But, he physically and emotionally and mentally abused me, so I got out.  I was emotionally and mentally crippled for quite a while after we got away.  It took me a long time to recover from all that, but I did. 

     I don’t know how much you remember about all that.  You were 9 years old when we got out.  He abused you, too.  He beat you with a belt until you were screaming and bruised on your butt and all up and down your legs.  I couldn’t interfere or I thought he’d kill me and I didn’t want to die in front of you.  I did interfere once and he d...

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