For The Daughters Who Have Been Broken

We live in a culture where cheating is common. Extramarital affairs become expectations. Love children are normalized. This is supposedly ‘okay.’

But, for that 9-year-old girl who finds out her dad has a daughter with another woman, it is not.

For the daughter told she is the reason her mother can’t leave her father, it is not.

For the daughter hurt the most by the person who was supposed to show her how to love, it is not.

For the daughter who has to pick up her own mother when she couldn’t bear the pain, it is not.

For the daughter who sat atop the stairs listening to her parents scream at one another, it is not.

For the daughter who grew up feeling unworthy of love, it is not.

For the daughter who sat up every night wondering what she did wrong, it is not.

For the daughter who has to pretend to be okay, it is not.

For the daughter who destroys herself trying to fix his mistakes, it is not.

For the daughter who fears that she will make the same mistakes, it is not.

For the daughter who thinks it is in her DNA, it is not.

For the daughter who has to listen to her therapist tell her over and over again that it is not her fault, it is not.

And, for the daughter who didn’t even get an apology or reason why, it is not.

Cheating is common. Extramarital affairs are expectations. Love children are normalized.

Dysfunction becomes the norm.

Broken families the reality.

Emotional scars predetermined.

We learn to forgive the person that caused so much pain, love the person we’ve grown to hate. But, when do we forgive ourselves? When do we love ourselves?