This Girl"s Life, Being the child of a War Veteran

by Michelle Brown

Overview

The more I write about this the more emotional I get, but I keep going because I can’t let it keep me in bondage anymore. I’m trying to help other families who might be going through this, or who have already been through this. It is never too late to get help. I could have died many times, but I survived. I survived it and my dad didn't win. I won, because I am still here to tell my story. That makes me a survivor. I was afraid to tell Child Protective Services about my dad because I knew they wouldn't believe me. He had so many people fooled — he would act nice around people, but when no one was around, we would get it. Then his drug and alcohol abuse got worse, and he would start leaving for weeks at a time, which felt good — until he returned. Then it would start all over again. My dad, Kenneth Haugabrook, also known as Rico. I have to say this to anybody who reads my book: Don't be afraid to talk to someone about what’s going on in your home. Don’t leave your abuser in control of your life, don't give them control. If there's anything you’re feeling, write it down. Don't suffer the way my family and I did. It will benefit you in the end.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940013855748
Publisher:	Dark Planet Publishing
Publication date:	12/20/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	146
File size:	160 KB

About the Author

I lived a rough life with my dad. He abused us physically all the time.
There were four of us who lived in our home, my brothers and sisters, along with
my mom and dad. My older sister had already left home. She’d had enough. My
dad took a lot of my life from me, and I still have nightmares about the things that went on in that home. We were afraid to tell anyone, afraid of what would happen to us. My dad was a war veteran and we really did not know how to treat someone like that — you had to be very careful of what steps you took and how you
behaved. I really hate to keep calling it a
“home,” because it felt more like a prison. I have never been to prison before, but
I’ve watched a lot of movies about it and imagine that this is how it would feel.
My mom was so afraid to leave my dad. She feared for her life, and you can’t
blame her. We were beaten all the time. I used to say sometimes that I wished I was
dead. At least then I knew the pain would stop. My dad told me something one day
that really stuck with me. “Now,” he said, “I don’t like you because you look like I me.” What the hell did that mean? I was his daughter! I was a kid! How was I supposed to change that? So, as a kid I never liked looking in mirrors. I was afraid of the evil I would see. My little brother and I got it the worst. We suffered a lot from my dad’s abuse.